


The Beginning of Days: Capture the Depot

by MBIII



Series: Days Past [4]
Category: Ratchet & Clank
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Boarding School, Canon Compliant, Eventual Romance, Gen, Humor, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2019-11-13 02:45:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 109,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18023291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MBIII/pseuds/MBIII
Summary: Back from Kreeli Comet and eager to face off against his hated rival again, Kaden is told the horrible news that that Kor has been promoted to level three and will not be participating in next semester's MSE Tournament. No sooner does this door close, however, than a new one opens and instead of being put on hold, his grudge match with the Red Reaper of Nova comes a lot sooner than he'd originally planned. It's finally time for the climactic showdown between two of Nova Academy's most impressive fuzzies... but only if Kaden can get to him first.





	1. Synaptic Park

Sorana arrived at Nova Academy by using the tele-transit system. Personally, she didn't like teleporter travel all that much. Even though the feeling lasted less than a second to the traveler, since they don't feel anything when they technically don't exist, it was the idea of it that didn't sit well with her. No matter what she knew to be fact, the ‘feeling’ of being disintegrated then reintegrated always bothered her. 

Every time she’d ever mentioned this to Kaden, he would always try to explain the science behind how a teleporter worked, as if hearing it 'again' would make them suddenly seem more tolerable for her.

Despite her feelings, she had reluctantly used the teleporters this time because she needed to get to Nova quickly. Just as Varick had predicted, Kaden had contacted her and wanted to know if she could come see a project that he was working on. She hadn't actually told him that she was still stuck at home, but she had agreed to come without a second thought.

As a compromise, Sorana had stayed with her parents until the last possible moment before she jumped on the nearest teleporter network to Nova. And, despite how ‘impossible’ Kaden assured her it was, the teleporter jump unseated the half-pound of caviar that she’d eaten earlier and she feared what might happen if she didn’t sit down.

She quickly found a bench in the teleporter terminal and let out a deep sigh as she leaned back in her seat. 

Her break had to be a short one, however, as she had a schedule to keep. Sorana braced herself against further nausea and stood back up, before quickly proceeding through academy security. She then made her way at once back to the Art Field to drop her luggage off in her room.

* * *

Sorana waved her hand over her dorm room’s access panel and it beeped once in confirmation of her identity. The door smoothly slid open and, as if someone had unlatched a floodgate, a tidal wave of blaring music hit her with enough force that it nearly knocked her down.

Her eardrums shook violently as Sorana pushed her way into the room through the waves of buffeting sound and then shut the door behind her, so as not to bother the other residents. She tried yelling to the brown-furred Lombax in the corner of the room, but her small voice was drowned out before it even reached her own ears. 

Scowling with frustration, Sorana pushed onward, dropping her bag and pulling her ears down to protect them against the noise as she fought her way to the back of the room. Eventually, she managed to reach the sonic generator’s controls and hit the power switch with her elbow.

The ocean of noise evaporated in a flash and a rushing silence came pouring in to fill the void. Sorana breathed out in relief as the Lombax in the corner looked up from the sheets of paper she'd been scribbling on and started looking around in confusion at the sudden disappearance of music.

The brown-furred Lombax then reached up and pulled two large wads of paper out of her ears before finally spotting her irritated looking roommate.

"Claire,” Sorana barked with an air authority, “how many times have I told you not to listen to your music so loudl-"

"Sorana!" Claire exclaimed, before pouncing from her desk chair and full-body tackling her roommate onto the bed behind her. "I've missed you!" she declared as she hugged her friend tightly and buried her face in Sorana's chest.

"I've… missed you too," Sorana gasped as she tried to regain the air that had just been knocked out of her. "Why… do you insist… on behaving like this?" she questioned, still wrapped tightly in Claire's bear hug.

Claire looked up with a smile, "I just missed this scent is all," she answered innocently, before burying her head again and taking a deep sniff. 

Suddenly Claire stopped moving as Sorana felt the muscles in her friend’s body stiffen. The brown Lombax looked up again, but this time her expression was serious and full of intrigue. 

Claire got up on her knees and looked down at Sorana on the bed, "Sorana," she began suspiciously, "are you wearing Harum Redola perfume?"

"U-uh… well yes, but-" Sorana began to answer, but Claire put up her hand to silence her.

The brown-furred Lombax then put her hand on her chin as she looked Sorana up and down, examining her carefully before smiling, "That's a nice outfit you're wearing, unusually casual for you, but still cute." Claire's grin widened and she leaned in closer, "Do you have a date tonight?"

"What?!" Sorana blurted in surprise. "No, it's not a date, it's-" but she was cut off again as Claire gasped in surprise, putting her hands over her mouth in a display of complete shock.

"Nooooo!" she howled before closing her eyes and touching the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. "Woe is me. Finally, I am reunited with my dearest friend, Sorana, but it is only to find that she and her heart have been taken from me forever!" Claire paused and sighed sadly while letting her arms fall down to her sides. "Oh, well. As long as I get to be the bride's maid- Waaaaaah..."

Sorana shoved Claire off the bed and onto the floor with one solid push. Her friend landed on the thick carpet with a soft thud before rolling on her back, before coming up to a sitting position in the same motion, beaming upward happily. 

Sorana sat up on the edge of her bed, folded her arms and looked back down at Claire with a calm expression, "Are we done yet?" she asked simply with no signs of irritation or annoyance, just a sense of tiredness. Claire continued to smile up at her and then simply nodded. "Good," continued Sorana. "So, why did you have the music turned up so loud?"

"I write better with music playing,” Claire answered. “You know that.”

“Then why were there paper wads shoved in your ears?” Sorana pressed.

Claire shrugged, “The music was too loud, so I made earplugs from some scrap paper," she explained with a small hint of pride at her own ingenuity.

Sorana stared at her friend in disbelief, "Why didn't you just turn the music down?"

Claire returned Sorana's gaze, "Because, I was in the writing ‘zone’, I couldn't just stop and get up to do something else."

Sorana shook her head in amazement, "I know you’re an aspiring writer, but what kind of story could you be that obsessed about?"

Claire was suddenly excited again and jumped up from the floor. In a flash she was back at the corner where she'd been sitting earlier. She took a few seconds to gather up and sort through the dozens of sheets of paper lying across it, before finally hurrying back with a stack of them.

"You're still using old fashioned paper?" Sorana asked as she was handed the stack.

"Yep," answered Claire brightly. "You know that my creative juices flow much better when I write by hand rather than typing or scribbling on a digi-pad. This is my latest story. I'm going to turn it in for one of my class projects and I think it's coming along really well. I'll bet I can even get some good sales at the Exchange." 

‘The Exchange’ was what the Art Field was currently calling their shopping district this semester.

Sorana looked over the title page. In big, handwritten letters it read: 'Beauty and the Brilliant', while underneath was scribbled: 'by MBIII'.

MBIII was Claire's pen-name. Sorana knew that the letters stood for something, but Claire had refused to tell her what they meant.

Sorana began reading through the summary page and then through the first few feature pages. The story itself was about a beautiful princess who falls in love with a royal scholar, but their love is forbidden and blah, blah sappy love stuff. As Sorana read, her expression darkened.

"Claire, tell me this isn't about me and Kaden," she asked dryly.

Claire looked indignant, "Of course not," she insisted. “This is an original creation by yours truly, not some cheap fanfiction about your life.”

Sorana looked Claire straight in the eye, "The main characters' names are Soritha and Kadelith," she pointed out accusingly.

"Ummm..." Claire delayed, her eyes shifting left and right as she looked for an answer.

Sorana lowered the manuscript. It was beginning to get tiresome for her, how everyone she knew assumed that she and Kaden were in a relationship, as if a boy and girl couldn't simply be friends. 

She was surprised, however, by how much seeing Claire's story irritated her. The very thought of various readers looking at a story and automatically believing that the character based on her had to be romantically tied to the character based on Kaden, just because they were the main characters. It made her want to rip the pages in half.

Sorana let out a long sigh before standing up with the manuscript in hand. She then walked over to the footlocker that she kept at the end of her bed. This storage device had been a gift from Kaden. Besides having anti-grav generators, it could only be opened with her exact genetic touch. Sorana gripped the handle tightly and lifted the lid with ease, before tossing the pages inside and shutting it.

"What are you doing?!" shouted Claire as she ran for the trunk before trying futilely to open it again.

Sorana looked down at her friend sternly, "This is the very reason why I keep refusing to let you meet Kaden," she scolded. "I can put up with your crazed visions of reality, but I don't want you bothering others with them. Kaden and I are not a couple and we won't ever be a couple… Do you understand?"

Claire finally gave up on trying opening the chest before kneeling on the floor and hanging her head, "I understand," she repeated sadly.

"Good," finished Sorana, before she turned and left the room.

The moment Sorana was gone, however, Claire's features cracked into a wide grin. She wasted no time getting off the ground and hurrying to her desk, her lost pages weren’t even given a second thought. 

Part of the reason that Claire wasn't upset about her story's loss was that Sorana had given her a pen last semester as a gift. The pen was designed to save everything she wrote down with it and store it into a digital matrix, so that she'd never lose her work. All she had to do was upload its contents later. 

But the main reason for her elation was the sudden inspiration she'd gotten. 

Claire sat in her desk seat, pulled out a few blank pieces of paper, and started to write,

_ It hurt Soritha deeply to scold her dearest friend, but she couldn't have anyone knowing of her hidden feelings for the handsome young scholar, not even her most beloved of companions. This very evening Soritha had received word of Kadelith's return to the castle. With it came a secret letter from the scholar himself, wishing to regale her with tales of his travels and of the knowledge he'd gained. Her heart quickened as did her pace as she headed for the Field of Science to meet him... _

* * *

Sorana arrived at the Science Field common area where she would meet up with Kaden. He had offered to wait for her in the Art Field, but Sorana knew how uncomfortable he was around its grounds.

As she looked around for her friend, the white-furred Lombax noted inwardly how nice it was to be looking for him without some recent misdemeanor weighing on her mind. It was something so rare of late that she almost forgot what just hanging out with Kaden was like.

Of course, she was aware that it was unlikely that he wasn’t actually responsible for some recent crime or caper and that she simply didn’t know about it, but that was beside the point.

It was then that Sorana spotted her friend sitting down in a chair off in the corner. She was pleasantly surprised to see him not just on time, but early for their meetup. The tan-furred Lombax was quietly reading a digi-pad when she walked up to him. 

As was typical of the tan Lombax, he was so engrossed in what he was reading that he didn't even notice her arrival, even when she stood right next to him. Sorana smiled to herself, this was the start of one of her favorite past times.

She leaned in close to Kaden's ear and said loudly, "Hey Kaden." It wasn’t quite a shout, but it was louder than necessary. 

Kaden jumped in surprise and Sorana watched with satisfaction as her friend's trained combat instincts to turn and face a sudden threat were tempered by his naturally calculating nature. 

Halfway through Kaden’s reflexive reaction, his subconscious recognized her voice and he tried to stop himself. His body was first to respond, which left his arms with a slight lag behind, causing him to smack himself in the face with his digi-pad. 

All of this had happened in an instant, but Sorana could see it unfold with a well-practiced eye.

"Hello... Sorana," Kaden greeted dimly as he rubbed his muzzle. 

While it had always been Kaden’s habit to focus intently on anything he did, it was Sorana's habit to scare the tail off him whenever she saw him do it. In Primary Education he'd gotten used to the ritual and his reflexes had adjusted, but it had been such a long time since he'd last had to deal with it that his reaction was back to its original, embarrassing level.

Sorana sat down in a chair across from him with barely hidden amusement, "So, what's on the schedule for today?" she asked cheerfully.

Kaden shook his head and stretched out his stiffened extremities before matching her smile, "We're going to visit Synaptic Park," he said casually.

Synaptic Park was a large research facility, built near the base of Mt. Supernova, and housed most of the Biological research for the Science Field. 

Each of the Fields at Nova had privately allocated land for their own use. For example, the Military field had the Lotrin Forest, which it used to host its annual tournament and various other combat exercises throughout the year. Synaptic Park, though, was something of a myth, to students of the Art Field in particular. 

While the Art Field itself had access to many beautiful areas and natural wonders for their own enjoyment, most of which Sorana had already visited, the ‘park’ was rumored to contain genetic research projects like singing flowers, talking woodland creatures, and trees whose leaves change color based on the feelings of the people sitting in its shade.

Sorana was immediately intrigued, even if she knew that the rumors of the facility's secret wonders were most likely being romanticized. 

For instance, the color changing tree was said to turn black if a person standing underneath it was telling a lie. It was also said that if two Lombaxes stood under it at the same time and its color turned a deep red, it meant that the two were destined to be together forever. How much of that was true didn't actually matter to Sorana, she was simply excited at the very thought of visiting a new area of the academy.

"When do we leave?" she asked enthusiastically.

Kaden shrugged and took another look at his digi-pad, "There's a supply transport leaving in a little bit. We can catch it if we leave now."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Sorana asked rhetorically.

The two friends stood up and Sorana followed Kaden deeper into the Science Field. They went to a grav-lift station before riding one all the way to the bottom of the mountain. As Sorana exited the lift chamber, she found herself in a Science Field tram station. 

The academy used several tram networks to ferry supplies and people around its vast grounds. The two of them probably could have just taken a teleporter straight to the park, but Sorana was pretty sure Kaden had chosen not to take that route because he was being considerate of her dislike for travel method.

She smiled secretly at him as he continued to lead the way, wondering if he was even aware that he was doing it. She’d found over the years that Kaden put so relatively little of his thought power into deciding mundane tasks that he often did such things without even noticing the thought he’d put into them.

* * *

The tram sped along its single rail while Sorana took note of the area’s geological features from the window. She had studied almost all of the land around the mountain that she could, but there were several areas that she didn't have access to. Synaptic Park, and the area near it, was one of them. 

As the tram passed by land features that she recognized, she used them to calculate the location of the ones she'd never seen before. She was elated at the thought that her mental map of the academy would soon include the almost secret location of the legendary Synaptic Park itself.

As the tram crossed the border of a forest and out onto a large valley, Sorana retook her seat. This was an area she had already visited many times and there was nothing new for the next several miles. 

Sorana recalled having sat on the valley floor, which was open to all Fields, and curiously watching the Science Field trams go by, always wondering what secret location they were heading to just beyond her access. 

Kaden was sitting across from her with his eyes perpetually glued to his digi-pad.

"What is on that pad of yours that is so much more interesting than your oldest and dearest friend?" Sorana asked with mock hurt in her voice.

Kaden simply smiled and began tapping out several commands on his pad, "Says the person who spent the last ten minutes with her face plastered to the window," he retorted. "I'm just double checking a few things for the project we'll be working on when we arrive."

Sorana was intrigued. It was rare that Kaden ever asked for help for anything, "So, after all this time you just want to use me as free labor?" she teased. "What makes you think I'll even want to help with this project of yours?"

Kaden grinned knowingly as he put down his digi-pad and met her eyes with his, "Oh, I'm sure you'll be interested," he replied cryptically.

Sorana accepted his answer. In her experience, Kaden's surprises were only problematic if he said that he was looking forward to them as well. 

She decided to try a different subject, "So, Kaden… do anything idiotically dangerous over the break?" she asked bluntly.

Kaden caught his breath in his throat and broke eye contact, "O-of course not," he answered unconvincingly. "It was just a simple job for the Azimuth mining company, really ‘boring’ actually! Heh… get it?"

_ 'That’s a yes',  _ thought Sorana as she watched Kaden nervously play with his thumbs. She had always thought it odd that despite Kaden's brilliance, he was such a terrible liar.

It wasn't like she was mad, though. She'd actually be more concerned if he hadn't done something rebellious and/or incredibly dangerous, because then she’d know something was wrong with him.

Still, she couldn't just let him get away with it, "Hmmmm?" she pressed, looking him straight in the eye and forcing him to fidget uncomfortably.

Kaden racked his mind for something he could change the subject with, "Did you ever give that pen to your roommate?" he asked in desperation. 

Sorana leaned back and her brow creased as she tried to figure out what he was talking about, “Pen?” she wondered aloud.

Kaden saw her confusion... and his opportunity, "You know, that pen you asked me to make. The one that copies whatever it writes onto a digital memory circuit?"

"Oh!" said Sorana with realization. "Oh," she then said sourly with realization. "Yes, I gave it to her."

"What's wrong?" Kaden asked, noting her strange reaction.

Sorana shook her head, "It's nothing. I... just remembered that I have something to do later. No, Claire loves the pen, which is great because I can't tell you how many times she's accidentally ruined a stack of manuscripts and then crawled around the floor of our room spouting gloomy reasons why life isn't worth living."

"She sounds like a fun one," Kaden commented with interest. "When do I get to meet her?"

"No," Sorana stated flatly, but then recognized how cold the answer had probably sounded. "I mean… she's really embarrassing sometimes and not very easy to handle."

Kaden shrugged and leaned back in his seat, "I introduced you to Alister and I thought that was pretty embarrassing."

"Oh no," said Sorana with a smile, "Claire is much worse than Alister. Maybe one day I'll introduce you, but not until she promises to calm down."

A short chime resonated from the tram's speakers, indicating that the transport would be arriving at Synaptic Park soon. The transport then began to slow rapidly as it approached the park's station.

“We’re here,” noted Kaden as he prepared for departure.

“Oh,” replied Sorana as she quickly turned to the windows to take in the scenery. 

She had missed the transition into restricted Science Field space, so she was only generally sure of where she was now. She would have to pay closer attention when they left.

She was, however, able to get a good look at some the park itself as they approached.

Synaptic Park was a sprawling complex, but most of it seemed to consist of several upright, bulb-shaped buildings. They were attached to each other through above-ground tubes and were spread out over a huge swath of land. 

In each of the areas sectioned off by the buildings’ foundations and fences, there were various kinds of habitat environments. Some had very tall trees that towered over their bulb-buildings, while others had nothing more than grass. Some had ponds or streams and some were even just a completely aquatic environment. One area that she could see even had a sandy desert environment with a see-through, protective lid over it.

As Kaden took Sorana through security and into the research facility, she passed by many different lab entrances. They looked plain, but their names were intriguing. 

Kaden had explained that he only had access to the lab they were going to and that he couldn't show her any of the others yet, so she shouldn’t bother asking. 

For now, Sorana simply had to contend with wondering what was behind doors with names like 'Tree of Knowledge', 'Spider-monkeys', and 'Fountain of Youth' written on them. She would sometimes ask about one and Kaden would explain what it was if he could.

"What's… 'The Hypnotoad'?" she asked after reading another lab label.

Kaden stopped walking suddenly and looked straight ahead with wide, blank eyes, "The Hypnotoad is the greatest creature to exist in the galaxy," he began in monotone. "All hail the Hypnotoad."

Sorana gripped his arm with concern, "Kaden, are you alright?" she asked fearfully.

Kaden looked down at her with a half grin and put a calming hand on hers, "Ha, sorry," he laughed. "It's a force of habit, kind of an inside joke around here." 

Sorana eyed him for a few more seconds, but eventually nodded her acceptance and the two continued deeper into the facility.

They passed several other students on their journey through the halls and some of the younger ones were giving Kaden strange looks. 

Sorana immediately assumed that Kaden had done something to annoy them. Kaden didn't seem to take notice or care, but to Sorana it seemed like many of the looks were that of jealousy.

There was a very brief moment when she wondered if they could be jealous of Kaden because he was walking with her. Just as quickly as it came through, she dismissed the thought as ridiculous. Besides the fact that she was ‘sure’ Kaden himself was responsible for any dirty looks he got, the idea also brought back the unwelcomed memory of the romance novel Claire had written.

It wasn't like Sorana had never thought about the possibility before, but every time she did it always came down the same thing. No matter what her feelings might be, she and Kaden just didn’t fit that way.

Besides, her tan-furred friend seemed completely uninterested in romance. Sorana hated to agree with Varick, but it ‘was’ true that Kaden's actions were generally predictable. She knew that most of what went through his head followed a strict guideline. If it didn't involve figuring out some unanswered question, blowing something up, or eating, then it probably wasn't in there. 

This, she realized, was probably why he was so bad at lying. He just never gave any thought as to whether what he did would need an explanation.

Still, these musings reminded Sorana of something that she had to ask about… for the sake of all the students in the Art Field, "Kaden?" she began as they continued to walk. "Is it true that there's a tree here that can read a person's emotions?"

"Ah, 'The Tree of True Love'," Kaden answered without hesitation, followed by a small smirk.

Sorana had honestly not expected the rumor of the tree to be based in fact and was caught off guard with the revelation that it actually existed, "So there really is a tree that tells you when two people are in love?" Sorana asked with sudden interest.

Kaden nodded, "Yep, one of the students grew a grove of them a long time ago to find out if his girlfriend was actually in love with him. It was supposed to be romantic, since he was sure that she did, but it turned out that she was only after him for his invention royalties," Kaden explained as his smirk slowly turned into a grin. "The guy went nuts and destroyed all the research data he'd done to create the trees and now no one knows how to grow another."

"That's such a sad story," said Sorana.

"It really is,” Kaden agreed wholeheartedly. “He ruined over ten years of academy flora research over some girl," he lamented as he shook his head in amazement. "I can't imagine what could possibly make a person lose it like that."

"I bet you can't," Sorana muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" asked Kaden.

"Nothing... So, how do the trees work? Did the scientist destroy them too?" Sorana pressed.

"No, he was stopped before he could cut them all down, though I heard he managed to split several Nova guard bots in half with the experimental mono-molecular saw that he stole in the process. Anyway, the trees are actually really sensitive to the brainwaves that organic creatures emit and are specifically tuned to the ones made by Lombaxes. Their leaves are supposed to turn dark red when two Lombaxes in love were under them at the same time. Supposedly the trees only work if someone is absolutely and completely in love with the other person, like, with their entire being. Not that overly-hormonal, month-long kind of love either. It has to be real… or so I'm told. We only have the one tree now, but no one is willing to study it."

"Why's that?" Sorana asked curiously.

"Because one time two students were working together and they both ended up underneath it at the same time. Its leaves turned a reddish gold, which was supposedly the color of 'unrequited love', only one of them had feelings for the other. The two of them couldn't work together after that," Kaden explained.

"It seems like the tree causes more pain than happiness," Sorana reflected.

Kaden shrugged, "Sometimes the truth hurts," he quoted as they both continued down the hall.

_ ‘And maybe some things are better left unknown,’ _ Sorana thought to herself.

* * *

Sorana and Kaden arrived at their destination, which was just another simple looking lab entrance with the label "Lombax Origins" on it.

Kaden waved his hand over the access pad. A wide beam of light emitted from the ceiling and scanned both him and Sorana. Then the door slid open to reveal a small laboratory with dozens of holo-monitors and vast arrays of beakers and vials spread throughout. 

Many of the clear containers had strange looking liquids in them. There was also a large observatory window to the far side that must have looked out onto the lab's allocated outdoor space.

"Oh, come on!" Kaden growled angrily the moment he saw the room. He shook his head a few times before going around and picking up various chemical containers. "This lab isn't used for any kind of ‘real’ research," he explained to Sorana as he cleaned, "it's reserved for Fuzzies to get the feel of Nova lab procedures and to test their understanding of the experimental process. But, since it's not in use most of the year, the instructor who oversees it uses it as her own personal storage shed."

Sorana was then reminded, somewhat bitterly, that she had a task to accomplish for Varick, "What's this instructor like?" she asked, wondering if she'd get the chance to mention Kor while said instructor was present. 

She had already decided that she would tell Kaden about it, even if the instructor didn't show up, this way she could head off any rash decisions her brazen friend was likely to make.

Kaden stopped his work and considered Sorana’s question, "If I had to describe her with one phrase… it would be 'out of it'," he offered thoughtfully. "She doesn't particularly care about her students, which I prefer since it gives me more freedom, but it also means I occasionally find a lab in shambles, even though I ‘specifically’ told her that I'd be in here today," he noted with an irritated tone.

"Sounds like a fun one," said Sorana, quoting Kaden's words from earlier.

Kaden smiled as he put away the final beaker and clapped the dust off his hands, "She's not all bad, actually. She's definitely a better bio-engineer than I am," he admitted with admiration. Sorana was almost shaken to hear Kaden acknowledge that anyone was better than him at anything. She was bothered by how strange it felt and she was going to mention it, but he turned to her and added, "For now at least," with an almost evil half-grin.

Sorana breathed a sigh of relief, though she didn't really know what she'd been concerned about in the first place, "So, what about this project?" she asked, seeing that the lab now looked ready to use. "Just what about this tiny, messy lab do you think I'll find so interesting?"

Kaden walked across the lab floor with a knowing expression on his face. He stopped at the large, dark window on the far side and began typing on the holo-controls below it. Lines of light appeared across the window's surface which then slowly grew until the electro-shades were fully opened.

"Come take a look," Kaden beckoned.

Slowly, Sorana began walking toward the now crystal clear barrier. From where she was, she could see a few small trees through it. Then, when she was close enough to see the whole allotment, she looked down and saw what it contained. The sight made her heart race.


	2. Mirror Mirror

Puppies and kittens! 

Over a dozen of the tiny creatures were playing throughout the small enclosure.

Sorana’s face inched ever closer to the glass of the observation window as she watched them fixedly. The enclosure was only a few meters wide, with just a few small trees and a grass-covered floor.

The puppies were all playing energetically with a couple of the kittens and various small toys, while to the sides of the enclosure, the rest of the kittens all watched from a distance, seemingly interested in the games, but cautious to join.

Kaden watched with a satisfied smile as Sorana regressed into a childlike state. Her muzzle was pressed flat against the glass and her breath was causing it to fog up. Her eyes flickered about wildly with excitement as they followed the playful movements of the lab's inhabitants. 

She didn't say a word, or show any signs that she’d remembered he was there, so Kaden tried to explain unsolicited, "The origins of the Lombax race aren't fully understood," he began. "We can trace our genetic lineage back to two entirely, evolutionarily-separate species. And, while cats and dogs share similar traits to one another, we have yet to find any evidence of a period in time when the ancestors of these two species could have coincided genetically to evolve into Lombaxes.”

“You mean the missing link thing?” Sorana asked distractedly. 

Kaden visibly cringed at the word, “Please don’t say ‘missing link’ around here,” he begged. “Biologists really hate it and I know one in particular that you’ll totally trigger if you say it in front of them. No, I’m talking about where Lombaxes come from. It shouldn’t be possible for cats and dogs to intermingle, but our genetics are undeniable proof that they have. We just don’t know..." 

Kaden stopped there because he was fairly certain that Sorana wasn't listening.

As she intensely watched a puppy with black fur and one with soft yellow fur wrestle each other innocently, she recalled having wanted one when she was a child. 

Sorana had read about and seen images of the playful animals that were sometimes kept as pets, but the first time that she actually got to play with one was when Kaden had snuck it into their school. Of course, pets weren't allowed inside the school building and this one had been stolen from somewhere, but that wasn't important. 

What ‘was’ important is how much Sorana had loved playing with the tiny creature, though she hadn't been much bigger than it at the time. She had never managed to work up the courage to ask for one from her parents though, so she simply kept the desire bottled up.

"Hey Sorana?" asked Kaden, a little louder than the first two times.

Sorana broke from her daze at the sound of her name and stood up straight, suddenly very aware of how she'd been acting. She quickly turned away from Kaden to hide wiping the tiny bit of saliva from her lips before she cleared her throat and turned back around. 

She addressed Kaden with a straightened posture and an air of dignity and formality, as if doing so could somehow erase her recent behavior, "I certainly wasn't expecting a lab full of puppies and kittens," she said with a very businesslike tone to her smug looking Lombax friend.

Kaden raised an eyebrow and studied his friend silently for a short while, "Do you want to play with them?" he asked finally.

Sorana held the majority of her body in check, but couldn't prevent the nervous twitching of her ears that told Kaden she'd like nothing more, "I-I s-suppose," she began carefully, "but what's the objective? There has to be a reason for the Science Field to keep kittens and puppies here." 

Despite Sorana’s elation at the sight, she was now starting to become concerned for what type of experiment these adorable creatures might have in store for them.

"As I was saying..." Kaden continued, "There are several groups of dogs and cats kept in the larger environments here at the park with minimal artificial care, so they're essentially wild animals. These young ones are just old enough to be taken from their parents for short periods of time and we want to document their social reactions to each other's species while they're still young and unaffected by their elders. Strictly ‘observational’ research."

Sorana let out a small breath in relief when she was sure nothing bad was going to happen, "So then why do you need me?" she asked next.

"Well," Kaden began, "the academy has done extensive research on experiments like this one, so this is typically used as a starter experiment for testing new students. That... and there’s no requirement to use any dangerous or expensive equipment or samples. Regardless, I figured I'd try something a little different with my experiment: Testing the subjects' interaction with a Lombax."

Sorana looked at Kaden suspiciously, "So you mean your experiment is just to play with kittens and puppies? That just sounds like messing around."

Kaden wagged his finger at Sorana and shook his head with mock disappointment, "Dear, sweet, naïve Sorana… as long as I take notes, it's science!" he declared with his digi-pad held up, before a grin spread across his face.

Sorana shook her head with disapproval, but she wasn't really bothered by his actions. Besides the fact that she was used to this kind of thing from Kaden, the part of her that she'd been holding back for the past minute was resurging, now that she’d realized there was no reason for her not to go running into the small atrium and pick up an armful of fluffy critters. Sorana could feel her inner child yelling at her to do so.

"So, how do we begin?" she asked, taking great care to keep the eagerness from her voice.

Kaden looked down at his digi-pad and tapped out a few commands, "First let's just observe them. Try to get to know each one. Then, when you're interacting, try to spend time with all of them one on one for a little bit. We can make stuff up from there… or can you not handle the wait?" he added as he took note of Sorana's distracted features.

Sorana pulled her thoughts into sharp focus and mentally fortified herself, "I'm fine," she insisted indignantly. "They're just animals after all."

But just as she promised herself that she'd keep it together, a tan-furred kitten with light brown stripes climbed up onto the sill of the observation window. It would have been within arms reach had the glass not been there. 

Instinctively Sorana leaned down and moved closer to the window as the adventurous kitten studied the glass barrier curiously. The tiny creature raised its paw high above its head and pressed it against the glass experimentally. 

Sorana watched its movement with intense focus until she heard a stifled laugh come from behind her. Immediately she turned to demand what was so funny, but she then followed Kaden's line of sight back to the window, only to find that she had placed the tips of her finger on the spot where the kitten had placed its paw, as if playing patty-cake.

Sorana stood up again, this time annoyed with her own inability to control herself. Inevitably, she turned her anger on the snickering Kaden (who was at least partially at fault), "I just... couldn't help myself," she began sarcastically with a shrug. "It was just so little and cute… since it looks just like you." She then turned to watch the hit land as Kaden's face soured. She knew from experience that if she wanted to get to Kaden, go through his ego.

Kaden turned his muzzle up at the window, "It doesn't look anything like me," he denied grumpily. "Sure its fur is a similar color, but that's it." He then looked away from the window to focus on his digi-pad.

Sorana enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction at her small victory before turning back to watch the little tan-furred kitten through the window. One of its ears flicked a few times in a lovable way. Then, a moment later Sorana saw Kaden's ear copy the movement from her peripheral vision. She smiled to herself at the funny coincidence.

She then watched the kitten reach up and scratch said ear, which must have still been itching despite its attempts to flick away the sensation. Sure enough, Kaden reached up to do the same to his own ear, but his eyes were still glued to his digi-pad.

This time Sorana bit back laughter at another great coincidence. 

Then, just as she was sure it couldn't get better, both Kaden and the kitten yawned simultaneously. It was both adorable and hilarious in equal measure and this time she couldn't help but let a little giggle escape her lips. 

Kaden looked up from his digi-pad at the sound of the tiny squeak to see what had caused the noise. But, by the time he did, Sorana had already turned back toward the window as if nothing had happened while the tan kitten licked the back of its paw, completely unaware of what was going on behind the glass. 

After a few seconds, the tan Lombax shrugged and returned to his digi-pad.

As soon as Sorana felt Kaden's eyes off of her, she glanced back at him again with a smile. Then she found herself hoping to see what she knew was ‘definitely’ not going to happen. 

This, however, is why she was more stunned than amused when Kaden paused from tapping on his digi-pad to study the back of his hand curiously, before raising it to his lips and licking the back of it.

Sorana blinked a few times to make sure there wasn't something wrong with her eyes. This coincidence just seemed too weird, "Kaden?" she asked, breaking both the silence and Kaden's concentration. "Did you just lick your hand?"

Kaden looked up at her and furrowed his brow as he thought for a moment. After a few seconds, he faintly recalling having licked his hand without giving it much thought, "I guess," he replied casually, as if it was no big deal. "It looked like there was something on it from lunch. Why, what's the big deal?"

"Didn't you just handle a bunch of strange chemicals?" Sorana answered with deep concern in her voice. "What if some of it was dangerous?"

Kaden laughed, "Ha, don't worry about it, Sorana. Even if my instructor's a little off, she's still a scientist. If there was anything dangerous in those containers, there would be a warning label."

Sorana took a step forward to address Kaden more seriously and, as if scripted by an amateur novel writer, they both heard a soft crunch. Sorana lifted her foot and shifted her gaze down to a small sticker with a picture of a skull and crossbones on it. She then looked back up at Kaden with her eyes wide. 

Kaden’s body language showed his concern now. He reached down and picked up the label to examine it more closely. He spent the next few moments staring at the image, while also clicking his tongue a few times to study the after taste in his mouth.

"Hey Sorana," he began calmly before he lifted his digi-pad and started tapping on it rapidly, "there's something else I have to go check on real quick. Would you mind staying here for a little while? I'll… I’ll be back in a little bit." 

Sorana nodded slowly. 

"Great,” Kaden continued. “Uh… so, don't go into the atrium until I get back and the emergency aid for Synaptic Park is on any open NID frequency. Just turn it on and someone will pick up." As Kaden was speaking, he had been carefully moving toward the exit and, just as he finished, disappeared through it.

Sorana stared blankly at the closed lab entrance while standing there alone. She then took a deep breath and returned to the window. She had been through this kind of thing before, it was a common occurrence for someone like Kaden, after all. 

In fact, Sorana was so sure that one day his own idiotic actions would get him killed, that she was already preparing herself mentally for it. She knew she couldn't stop him from being himself completely, so she just had to endure it for now.

By the time she had dismissed her concerned thoughts and turned back to the window, the tan-furred kitten had disappeared from the sill. Sorana scanned the atrium for it and soon found it again, this time playing with a group of puppies. 

Many of the other kittens were keeping their distance from the rough playing puppies for the most part, but the tan-furred one was in the mix of it. Fighting over toys and wrestling, it didn't even seem like a kitten at all really. Sorana reflected on how being the one that went against the norm was just another way that it resembled Kaden,  _ ‘that... and it was so cute.’ _

“I mean in an endearing way!” Sorana clarified reflexively, despite nobody being around and no way they could have heard her thoughts if they had been.

Sorana looked around the silent lab for signs of life and when she found none, she simply shook strange thoughts from her head and returned to her observation.

A few minutes later, the tan kitten had begun wandering around the atrium, apparently bored with its game. It went around to some of the other kittens and tried playing with them, many of which hissed and/or swiped at it. 

At first, this made Sorana feel bad for the tiny tan creature, but later she realized the reason for the hostility was that this particular kitten wasn't good company. It would constantly swipe toys from any creature that didn't guard them, only to play with it alone and get bored before moving on to the next one.

After failing to wrestle a chew toy away from one of the puppies, the tan Kitten began wandering around the atrium again until is spotted a pure white kitten on the edge of the enclosure. 

The white kitten was playing with a stuffed toy rodent at the base of one of the small trees and was busy gnawing at one of the toy's five eyes, that is, until it spotted the tan-furred kitten coming its way.

Apparently knowing that the tan kitten was trouble, the white kitten reared up, with its toy secured in its mouth, and stared down a challenge at the tan one. The tan kitten simply kept coming though, innocently padding its way towards the white-furred kitten without any reaction to their hostility, almost as if it was oblivious to the other kitten’s body language. 

Realizing that the tan kitten had no intention of backing off, the white kitten spun around to face the nearby tree, reared its legs back, and leaped up onto it before using its claws to scale its way to the lowest branch. 

Sorana was impressed, it seemed as though the branches had been pruned to prevent the creatures in the atrium from doing just that, but apparently not far enough the stop the white kitten.

The tan kitten reached the bottom of the tree and looked up at the white kitten. It meowed a few times, but the white kitten ignored it and happily returned to playing with its toy. 

The tan kitten ran at the tree and tried to climb it like the white one did, but the attempt was a failure that ended with the tan kitten on the ground.

Still imagining the tan-furred kitten as Kaden, Sorana smiled to herself, thinking,  _ 'That's what you get for being such a troublemaker' _ . 

As she watched, however, the tan-furred kitten refused to give up. With each new attempt, the determined kitten got a little further up the tree, figuring out how to use its claws and distribute its weight better with each try. A little while later and it finally reached the branch the white kitten was on. 

Immediately the tan kitten attempted to play with the white kitten, but the white kitten simply looked at it with annoyance and climbed the tree higher to the next branch.

Undaunted, the tan kitten chased the white one and this time managed to make it up to the next branch with only a few attempts. 

The white kitten became irritated at this and took a few swipes at the tan one, but the tan kitten seemed to think these actions were some kind of game. It retaliated playfully, occasionally trying to steal the toy away from the white kitten. 

Eventually, after realizing it couldn’t chase away the nuisance, the white kitten climbed the tree higher still and yet again the tan kitten followed.

This process was continued until about halfway up the tree, until the tan kitten finally managed to snag the small toy from the white kitten. 

The tan kitten pulled back from the white one, further along the branch, triumphantly shaking its prize. 

But the white kitten refused to accept this. It quickly reclaimed the prize before darting up to the next branch a second later. Here it laid across the branch and meowed down at the tan kitten as if mocking it. 

Again the tan kitten chased the white one and again the tan kitten managed to steal the toy, but this time the tan kitten climbed to the next branch with it before the white kitten could reclaim it. The tan kitten then placed the toy down, just as the white kitten had, and meowed mockingly down the tree.

The white kitten hissed its outrage and immediately bolted up after it.

The two kittens continued their game of cat and mouse-toy, as they traveled further up the tree. Sorana noticed something odd in their behavior though. She noticed that the white kitten wasn’t taking swipes at the tan kitten itself anymore, only at the toy, as if it was now focused on the game like the tan one had been. In fact, it almost looked like the white-furred kitten was enjoying itself, now treating the challenge of the tan kitten as much as a game as it did.

However, it wasn't long before the two kittens were almost to the top of the tree. The branches were getting smaller now and they swayed shakily as they tried to support the weight of the two kittens playing on them. 

Noticing this, the white kitten began to slow its pace and take its time to test the branches carefully before climbing on them. The tan kitten, on the other hand, continued to move at full speed with reckless abandon.

The tan kitten now had the toy and it wasted no time in running up to the next branch, but it was clear that there were no more branches above this one that could support the kitten's weight. The white kitten slowly, but surely made its way up to the tan one’s branch, while the tan kitten looked around desperately for somewhere else to go.

The white kitten now eagerly made its way to the top branch and pawed its way slowly towards the tan kitten, knowing that it had no way to escape.

But the tan kitten was not willing to give up so easily. Suddenly, the tiny ball of fluff bolted down the length of the branch and, just before reaching the end, jumped straight off it, like a diver from a diving board, towards a branch from another nearby tree. 

Sorana held her breath as the kitten landed, slipped, and just barely managed to hold onto the branch by its claws. Slowly, it was able to pull itself up, the toy still in its jaw, before turning to face the white kitten still in the other tree. The small, tan creature then set the toy on the branch in front of it and sat down, waiting patiently for the white kitten to follow as always.

The white kitten, however, was gingerly making its way to the end of the first branch. The tree limb shook and wobbled as the kitten tried to get closer, but shaking became so bad at one point that the white kitten simply stopped moving and instead held on tight. The white kitten meowed defeatedly to the tan one.

The tan kitten simply returned its gaze with a curious tilt of its head and flick of its ear. It meowed once in reply, but then continued to sit there and wait expectantly for the white kitten to follow. 

After a while, the white kitten began to move along the branch again, but was soon once more overcome with fear and stopped again. It meowed yet again, and once more the tan kitten meowed back without moving. Sorana felt desperately sad for the white kitten and wondered if there was anything she could do.

The enclosure wasn't a sealed environment, however, so, at that moment, a small butterfly came fluttering over the habitat walls and flew across the tan kitten's face. 

The tan kitten was immediately intrigued by the new thing. It swiped at the insect a few times playfully before the butterfly began to fly away. The kitten chased it, but was stopped when the white kitten meowed again.

The tan kitten turned to look at the white kitten and was about to take a step back towards it when the butterfly crossed its face again. This time the tan kitten chased the butterfly with gusto. It jumped across the tree branch and swiped at the butterfly repeatedly, desperate to catch it. As the kitten moved, the branch shook and the toy rodent fell through the lower branches to the ground below.

The white kitten watched the toy fall, but ignored it. As the tan kitten chased the butterfly further away through the tree, the white kitten meowed again, but this time the tan kitten didn't hear the call, it was too engrossed in chasing the butterfly. The white kitten meowed again and again, but each time it went unanswered.

Sorana could hear the white kitten's cries through the observation window's speakers, which tracked the movement of any observer's eyes and focused audio detectors wherever they were looking. 

To her, the kitten's cries sounded so sad and they resonated deep within her. Her chest and throat tightened and, though she didn't fully understand why, she just felt extremely sorry for the white kitten.

The tan kitten had already chased the butterfly into a third tree now and was moving up and down branches with amazing ease considering it that it hadn't even been able to get up to a low one just a few minutes ago. 

With its cries unanswered, the white kitten decided that once again it would attempt to reach the next branch over.

Sorana pressed her hands and face to the window so hard that her circulation was in danger of being cut off as she watched the white kitten's desperate attempt to reach the tan one. 

The branch shook violently, but the white kitten pressed on. It reared back on its hind legs and prepared to get a running start for the leap across. Sorana held her breath as the white kitten charged down the branch's length and… the branch snapped.

Sorana nearly cried out, biting her lip instead, as she watched kitten plummet from the tree. Halfway down, it managed to turn itself in midair and hit the ground on its paws, but it then collapsed in a heap. 

Sorana continued to watch with bated breath as the kitten tried to pick itself up, but it stumbled again when it tried to put weight on one of its paws, which had clearly been injured. Eventually, it simply gave up and just laid down where it landed, unmoving.

Sorana was on the verge of hysteria. She looked around the lab desperately wondering what to do and it didn’t take her long to spot the entrance door to the atrium. 

Without even the slightest thought of Kaden's instructions not to enter it without him in her concerns, she reached for the door controls. She had to help that poor kitten, no matter what.

"What are you doing?" demanded a cold, irritated voice.

Sorana jumped in surprise, her hand on the door’s control panel. She turned around to find a tall, brown-furred, female Lombax standing in the doorway to the lab. 

Sorana's first thoughts were reflexively about the Lombax's appearance; namely, her oddly colored stripes. Her head stripes were a solid red, but the rest of her stripes were all different colors. Some weren't even symmetric. Sorana had never seen a naturally occurring, multi-striped fur coat before, so she assumed it must not have been natural. 

The other thing she immediately noticed about the Lombax was how messy she seemed. Her hair looked unkempt, as if she didn't even know it was there and her long, white lab coat was covered in stains, holes, and loose stitching.

"Who are you?" asked Sorana in response.

The other Lombax raised an eyebrow, "The name's Varin and this is ‘my’ lab," she answered darkly. "I was informed that some idiot may have come into contact with a dangerous chemical in here and when I arrive, I find you inside."

"That must have been Kaden," replied Sorana with the realization that this person must be Kaden's instructor.

"I know, the report had his name on it," Varin snickered, as if it should have been obvious that she'd already known. "Now, what are you doing in here?" she questioned again.

Sorana suddenly remembered what she was doing before Varin showed up, "A kitten,” she blurted out frantically, “it fell from the tree!" 

The expression on Varin's face changed, almost softening as she started moving towards Sorana, "Where?" she demanded once she reached the observation window.

Sorana pointed out the white kitten lying on the ground at the base of a tree and Varin quickly brought up a digital command pad that displayed on the observation window and began tapping through commands rapidly. 

As Varin worked, Sorana turned her gaze back to the white kitten and witnessed something that played havoc with her already rapid heart rate.

The tan kitten was now standing over the white kitten, gently nudging it in an attempt to get it to rise. The white kitten only managed to look up and meow softly before resting its head back down again. 

The tan kitten continued its nudging persistently until the white kitten finally made another attempt to stand. Just like before, however, when it tried to put weight on its injured paw, it collapsed and laid still.

"See," Sorana said to Varin, "it's hurt. We need to help it."

The other Lombax looked at the readings on the holo-screen and shook her head, "It's not hurt." she replied a moment later with a shrug.

"What do you mean 'it's not hurt'?" repeated Sorana in confusion.

Varin indicated the holo-screen to Sorana. Sorana looked at the readings on the window and found an outlined image of a kitten with several detailed descriptions coming off it. Varin then pointed to the highlighted paw area.

"You can see here that the data log shows some mild trauma to its ankle recently," she explained. "At worst it has a light sprain, but other than that it should be completely fine."

Sorana studied the reading carefully, "But, the kitten can't stand up," she insisted.

They both turned back to the two kittens, the tan one was now gently licking the injured paw of the white one in some instinctual attempt to help it.

Varin studied them carefully with her hand on her chin before finally shaking her head, "The leg might hurt a little, but there is no physical reason preventing it from getting up."

Sorana continued to watch the two kittens interact with a confused expression. The tan kitten clearly had no idea what to do to get the white one to rise. It looked around in search of an answer, but couldn't find any. 

Eventually, the tan kitten simply laid down on the ground next to the white one. The white kitten then opened one eye and looked down at the tan kitten curled up next to it, before closing its eye again and relaxing.

_ 'No way,' _  thought Sorana as she watched the white kitten cuddle up closer to the tan one.

"So I'll ask again," Varin said coldly with her previous demeanor back, snapping Sorana’s focus back to inside the lab "What are you doing here?"

Sorana turned to face her, "I was invited here," she answered honestly, "to help Kaden with his project."

"Help? On the Lombax Origins project?" Varin asked in disbelief. "Literally, the only purpose of this experiment is to give new level two students something so easy that they ‘can't’ screw it up."

"So you mean there's no point to this?" asked Sorana.

Varin shrugged, "It's a learning exercise. Just practice really. Every so often you find someone who thinks they can solve the riddle of the Lombax missing link, but no new evidence has surfaced for years." Varin then smiled oddly at Sorana as she thought of something funny. "But, if you ask me, I'd say that Lombaxes were designed by some ancient, super-intelligent race to be adorable killing machines."

Sorana wore an expression of complete rejection for the idea, "Huh?" she replied without thinking.

"Think about it," Varin insisted, her tone turning from hostile to eager. "Lombaxes have the reflexes and agility of a cat, the senses and instincts of a dog, and were consistently ranked top three in the galaxy's most cuddly sentient races. However, there is no evolutionary link between these two creatures, so then how did we gain the best traits of both? Without the missing link, the only possible explanation is that someone… or something, constructed the Lombaxes to be cute, cuddly, and capable of mass destruction!"

Sorana shook her head, "What possible reason could someone have to do that?"

Varin's grin broadened, she seemed extremely happy to have someone finally ask her that question, "Isn't it obvious?" she began with the air of conspiracy theorist. "It was all to build some kind of marketing franchise based on a race that ‘looked’ kid-friendly, but was actually filled with destruction and bloodshed. This way, they could sell products to fans at an extremely young age and corrupt them with their mature themes, thus taping an untouched demographic that is sure to retain their love for the lore as they age. It's brilliant!"

Before Sorana could even comprehend the level ridiculousness she'd just been exposed to, the entrance door to the lab slid open and Kaden dashed in.

"Sorana!" he shouted in alarm, before stopping and pointing at Varin, "don't listen to this one's lies. It's all nonsense, everything you've heard since she entered the lab, erase it from your memory... now!"

Varin leaned her head back so she could literally look down on Kaden and crossed her arms, "Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite new Fuzzy. I see you've brought a playmate to my lab. How'd you manage to pull that one off?"

Kaden mimicked Varin's gestures, crossing his arms and turning his nose up at her, "Believe it or not, Varin, you're not the only person I know who can grant Synaptic Park access to other students. All I had to do was ask a favor."

Varin raised an eyebrow with interest, "Oh really? And who might this person be that would just do you a favor like this for nothing?"

Kaden hesitated for a moment, "That's... not important," he answered dismissively, clearly not wanting to talk about it. "What ‘is’ important, is this..." Kaden held up the skull and crossbones warning label from earlier to show Varin. "I walked all the way to the med-bay and even explained my situation before I realized that if a material with this class of lethality was exposed to the air, the contamination detectors would have gone off and sealed this whole section of the park. So why do you have one in your lab?"

Varin reached over and took the label from Kaden with a small smile, "I started putting these on my lunch containers," she explained without a trace of shame or guilt. "That way I can keep it in the refrigeration unit down the hall."

Kaden's face was a picture of shock, "You mean the hazardous materials freezer?" he asked, dumbfounded, "The one where they put the experiments too dangerous to be kept in the labs?!"

Sorana listened to the exchange and mentally agreed with Kaden. The very idea of such an irrespon-"That's brilliant!" declared Kaden in sheer awe. He then turned to Sorana with wide gleeful eyes to explain said brilliance, "Walking all the way to the food research sector is the only way to get anything decent to eat in Synaptic Park, but the HazMat fridge is just down the hall." 

Sorana's face was a picture of shock.

Kaden then turned back to Varin, "Do you mind if I use that too?" he asked, excitedly thinking about all the food he could store just a short walk from where he'd be working.

"Not at all," answered Varin proudly, with a self-satisfied smile. "I just got a bunch of spare labels since I helped the Hazardous Waste supervisor with his fur thinning problem."

Finally, Sorana couldn't take it anymore, "Are you two crazy?!" she exploded. Kaden and Varin were both caught off guard by the sudden outburst. "What happens if your food gets exposed to something fatal while it's stored in there? Then you're just going to eat it?" 

Both Kaden and Varin thought for a bit, then they seemed to deflate slightly.

"She's right," said Varin thoughtfully to Kaden. "I didn't think about that."

Kaden returned the look, then he suddenly perked up and snapped his fingers, "We steal a couple of 'High Risk' storage containers," he suggested.

Varin's eyes lit up at the suggestion, "Yes!" she agreed, just as excitedly. "They're completely hermetically sealed so there's no chance of contamination. We could even run them through the D-con without any problem."

"Plus," Kaden continued, "Nobody would ever look in them. Anything in a 'High Risk' container would frighten away anyone from sneaking a peak."

Varin smiled wide and beamed down at Kaden like a proud teacher, "That's my new favorite pupil. High-five!" she declared, throwing her palm flat into the air.

Kaden met her palm with his, "Food!" he declared happily as he did so.

"Food!" repeated Varin.

Sorana couldn't believe what she was witnessing. There was someone in the universe that almost identically twisted like Kaden and they had met. It was like they were looking into a mirror!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D-con - is shorthand for Decontamination. It both checks for and destroys foreign organisms, so Kaden and Varin can clean off their ‘lunchboxes’ when they need too, as well as get them into secure locations as necessary.
> 
> Dog/Cat Theory - The theory that Lombaxes are a hybrid of cats and dogs is true, but I wouldn’t really call it canon. In the first Ratchet and Clank game, you could unlock a behind the scenes trailer that I’m sure is on youtube somewhere. In it, the designers described the different iterations and designs they went through to make Ratchet and Clank. Everything from clank being broken into three different drones and Ratchet as a lizardman. Finally, they had a very dog-like design and a very cat-like design for Ratchet that they eventually decided to just merge, which resulted in the final, lovable lombax that we know today.
> 
> The reason Lombax society, with all their advanced science and technology, can’t figure out how a creature harboring traits from two, seemingly incompatible, DNA templates is because Varin is right, they were created by some sadistic higher being to be cute and destructive. A.K.A. Insomniac Games.


	3. Back in the Game

"We could get a few of those containers from the medical research division," suggested Varin. "You know, the ones they use for organs. They’re insulated, so they can double as coolers when we need them." 

Kaden nodded his head in agreement, “And we can use coolant tanks for drinks.”

As he and Varin discussed plans for various edible storage arrangements, Sorana watched from her seat at the far end of the lab in astonishment. She felt as if she’d stepped into another dimension, so surreal was it to see Kaden being friendly with someone other than Alister or herself. Especially someone he'd only gotten to know recently. 

Kaden had never been good at making friends in school, though Sorana didn’t know if that was because he was always in trouble or because anyone who got involved with him usually got involved in some kind of horrible experiment. Plus, Kaden himself never seemed to ‘want’ new friends, but again, Sorana wasn’t sure if this came first or if it was a reaction to not being able to make any.

Even Alister didn't get along with him at first. In fact, Sorana was sure that they ‘hated’ each other, from the way Kaden first talked about the 'arrogant other kid' on Kreeli in a transmission. She wasn't sure of the specifics, but somewhere along the way, they went from just rivals to being friends. It hadn’t even been very long ago either.

_ ‘Maybe he’s growing up?’ _ Sorana thought to herself. But she shook the notion away, nothing about Kaden ever hinted at maturity, so much so that she suspected he made an effort to keep it that way.

"Alright, it's settled!" Kaden declared, slapping the large, illegible diagram that had been drawn on a wall-sized holo-monitor in the few seconds that Sorana had been lost in thought. "We get organ transport containers from med. sector, paint over the markings with anti-bacterial coating from Bio Sector, and Thursdays are henceforth known as Bunsen Burner Burger day." Varin clapped lightly in satisfaction of the conclusion. Kaden returned his thanks with a nod and they shook hands on it, "But I still feel like I'm forgetting something," he added as he searched his mind for some lost thought.

"Was it about your lab project?" Varin offered.

Kaden's eyes widened suddenly and he spun around to face Sorana, who was sitting with her head resting on her arms at a desk. She stared at the two of them with glazed over eyes, "Sorana?" Kaden asked cautiously, afraid that forgetting about his friend had angered her.

Sorana broke from her daze at her name being called, "What?" she responded distractedly.

"Umm, sorry about that," Kaden apologized while rubbing the back of his head guiltily. "We kind of got carried away for a moment."

Varin scowled, "It's no big deal," she asserted. "We had important Science Field business to discuss and it's not like she had to wait that long."

Sorana looked up with a mildly irritated expression on her face, "The two of you talked about food restrictions and how you’ll get around them for over half an hour!" she spat with a little more venom than she had intended.

Varin eyed Sorana suspiciously as if trying to discern something from her. Sorana returned the glare with practiced ease. 

At that moment, there was a barely noticeable tremor that vibrated through the floor of the lab, right on cue. Kaden and Sorana both felt it through their feet and studied the floor curiously for a moment, before simultaneously looking up at the panic-etched expression on Varin's face.

"Oh no!" she declared before turning to Kaden. "I left my assistant in charge of the lab before I came to see if you'd actually died!"

Kaden didn't even flinch at the casual mention of his demise, "So, what's the big deal?" he inquired.

A tone chimed over from the lab's speaker system and a voice followed, "Varin, report to the Biological Explosives lab immediately," ordered a very irritated sounding voice. "Lorna got out of her cage again."

"Ooooohh," Varin whined before lowering her head, ears drooping as she moved towards the door. "They'll never give me a ‘fourth’ lab for this experiment."

Kaden and Sorana watched Varin leave.

Once he was sure she was gone, Kaden spoke, "See, I told you she was a bit out of it," he said with a smile.

Sorana glared back at him, "You're right," she replied sarcastically while looking Kaden right in the eye. "Her actions are that of a complete fool."

"I think that might be a bit harsh," countered Kaden, completely missing Sorana's insinuations before he shrugged, "Let's just get back to the experiment."

Sorana's expression softened a little bit as Kaden turned and headed for the entrance to the atrium. It was true that she was a little mad at her friend for having invited her to hang out only to then completely forget that she was even in the room, but she wasn't sure if the irritation she was feeling was justified. It felt right, at least, but the downside would be that her mood was probably going to prevent her from enjoying playing with the young animals.

* * *

She was wrong. 

The moment Sorana was through the threshold, every tiny, adorable creature in the enclosure turned to her with boundless interest and excitement. 

All the puppies eagerly ran to her as fast as their tiny paws could take them, desperate to get a sniff of the newcomer. Sorana had to fight hard not to giggle uncontrollably as she felt them climbing up her legs and rubbing their noses in her fur. 

Most of the kittens began to make their way over to her as well, though with more care and caution than the puppies.

Feeling the weight of the animals pressing against her legs and threatening to unbalance her, Sorana moved carefully over to an artificial log in the middle of the atrium and sat down. Once seated, she selected the closest puppy she could reach and lifted it high into the air to get a good look at it, face to face.

"Hello," she said in a friendly manner.

The puppy wagged its tail happily and squeaked/barked playfully as Sorana held it up. The moment she had moved it close enough, it didn't hesitate to take a big slobbery lick of her face. 

She laughed good-naturedly and lowered the puppy back down before wiping the saliva off of her cheek fur. She then cradled the pup in her arm and scratched its belly until its leg started kicking uncontrollably.

Back in the observation lab, Kaden watched Sorana play with the animals. He, of course, knew exactly how much Sorana had wanted a pet as a child and smiled to himself with the jovial feeling he always got when Sorana was actually ‘happy’ about something that he'd done.

But then he noticed something odd... there were only two kittens in the atrium that hadn't yet made an attempt to see Sorana. A tan-furred one that was sitting up a short distance away and looking at her with intrigue and a white-furred one which was laying on the ground next to it.

Kaden reached over to the control panel and switched on the atrium’s out-speakers, "Sorana, do you see those two kittens over there?" he asked. Sorana turned her head to look at the observation window and then to where Kaden was pointing. "When the ones around you calm down, can you go and take a look at those two? They're acting abnormally." 

“Sure,” acknowledged Sorana with a nod and the barest hint of a smile on her face.

Kaden flipped the communication switch back off and continued to observe, taking notes occasionally, as Sorana ‘interacted’ with the subjects.

The kittens were constantly trying to climb her limbs and clothing while the puppies would poke their noses into spots where she was ticklish and make her laugh. She would sometimes pick up a toy and use it to entertain them, though it was clear that she was enjoying it as much as they were.

After a while, the excitement died down and many of the animals began to break off from the group around her, their attention caught by other toys or playmates, and most returned to playing with each other. 

It was then that Sorana finally got the opportunity to interact with the tan and white kitten that she had been watching so intently earlier. 

She stopped just in front of the two kittens and kneeled down on the grass next to them. The white kitten eyed her suspiciously, while the tan kitten looked up at her with longing and curiosity.

Sorana tried reaching for the tan kitten first and, not surprisingly, the white kitten wasn't happy about that. It hissed at Sorana's hand protectively, which she quickly pulled back. 

She then stayed still, patiently waiting for the kitten to calm down.

Next, she tried petting the white kitten and, after several attempts, it did eventually let her touch its fur. 

While Sorana was petting the white kitten, the tan kitten saw its opportunity and leapt onto her other hand, which she was pressing into the ground, using it to support her kneeling position. 

At this, Sorana stopped petting the white kitten and turned her other hand over. The tan kitten sat on her palm while looking around curiously. 

When it saw this, the white kitten sat up suddenly.

Sorana tried to lift the tan kitten, but the white kitten put its paw on her hand as if to stop her. Sorana smiled at this and waited a little while before trying to lift the tan kitten again. 

The white kitten got up completely on its back legs this time and put both its front paws on Sorana's hand. It meowed at the tan kitten, which meowed back before it jumped down from Sorana's hand and obediently sat next to white kitten again. 

Sorana laughed at the two kittens' antics.

"What's so funny?" asked Kaden over the atrium speakers.

Sorana turned to look at the observation window with a smile, "It's these two. They don't want to be separated. They're just so close, it's like puppy love... except it's kittens," she explained, before laughing at her own bad joke.

Kaden rolled his eyes in the window, "I know they're cute and resemble Lombaxes slightly, but they're just animals Sorana. Don't go anthropomorphizing them," he teased. "Besides, they're too young for that kind of relationship. At most, they're ‘just friends’."

Sorana’s ears stiffened and pointed back as Kaden’s words reached her. Her back was turned away from the observation window and she didn't respond at first, so Kaden was about to say something else when an alert popped up on the window screen. The atrium monitoring system had noted heightened stress levels in a few of the creatures within. 

Kaden looked around and found most of the kittens were suddenly alert for danger and the puppies had their tails between their legs. None of them were playing.

Kaden began urgently checking the temperature, the atmosphere readings, the light levels, but none of it offered any explanation, "Sorana, is everything ok in there?" he asked in bewilderment and with slight concern.

Sorana looked down. The white kitten had backed off slightly and was eyeing her with even more caution than before. The tan kitten, on the other hand, appeared completely oblivious to the mood. Sorana glared back down at the tan-furred kitten as it stared up at her with its little tail swishing around cheerfully.

Sorana reflexively got annoyed when people made allusions to her and Kaden’s relationship, but somehow, the worst offender of all was Kaden himself.

"I know they're just friends," she muttered under her breath.

Kaden hadn't been looking at Sorana when she spoke so the focused microphones didn't pick up her words. 

When he realized that he'd missed something, he switched the speakers to 'all ambient', "Did you say something?" he boomed out over the atrium speakers, making Sorana’s ear stiffen again.

As Sorana brooded her response, the oblivious tan kitten happened to glance back at the white kitten and let out a small squeak of joy the moment it saw that its companion was able to stand again, then it pounced on it playfully before backing off and challenging it to try and pursue.

Sorana watched the two kittens race off and sighed, relaxing her shoulders and ears before replying to Kaden's question, "I said... I know that they'll never be anything more than ‘friends’, alright?" she answered.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," countered Kaden pensively. "Sure they're young now, but they live in the same habitat, so they're likely to still be in contact after they've matured. If they get along well now then they're more likely to be close when, uh, 'that time' comes. At least never say never, that's my opinion."

Sorana paused for a moment before standing up and looking at Kaden through the observation window with a very annoyed expression, "You know I hate when you do that," she said.

"Do what?" asked Kaden with genuine cluelessness.

Sorana shook her head, "And I hate when you do ‘that’ even more," she answered.

Kaden was about to ask 'what' again, but he fought the urge. While he knew that he'd done something wrong and his natural curiosity demanded that he find out, his survival instincts warned him not to. 

Instead, he turned off the atrium comm. unit again and moved himself to a seat in the lab with a clear view through the window, eventually concluding that Sorana was probably annoyed about having her statements corrected repeatedly by him. He knew he had a habit of doing that.

* * *

Time passed surprisingly quickly for Kaden as he watched Sorana enjoying herself with the small animals. Before he realized it, over two hours had already passed and Kaden chided himself when he realized that he had barely taken any lab notes. 

Everything in the atrium was being recorded, so it wasn't completely necessary to take notes ‘now’, but he still needed to do a proper report or else Varin would fail him. He had planned on doing them while Sorana ‘interacted’, however, he was finding it unusually hard to focus.

Kaden stood up and went to the observation window before turning on the atrium comm. system again, "Hey Sorana, I know you're having fun, but we've got less than thirty minutes before we need to end the experiment and send the animals back to their habitats."

Sorana looked up at him through the glass. In her hand she held a stick with a fuzzy object on the end of it while the tan kitten clung to it with its tiny claws, "But we just got started," she protested, like a child not ready for bedtime.

Kaden shook his head, "Take a look around you,” he insisted as he gestured to the darkening sky. “It's time to return them for the night."

Sorana looked around at all the kittens and puppies that she had been playing with and realized that most had fallen asleep, exhausted from their hyperactive games. Only the tan kitten was still energetic while the white kitten simply sat close to Sorana and watched. 

Sorana smiled down at the white kitten, “Tiny Kaden is as exhausting as the big one, huh?” she whispered to it and it yawned in response.

Begrudgingly, Sorana nodded her acceptance of reality then smiled again before looking back to the observation window, "When this one falls asleep," she declared before raising the stick toy and tan kitten up higher for emphasis.

"Alright, fine," consented Kaden with his own smile.

He then watched Sorana return gleefully to playing with the kitten. Though it was true that the tan kitten seemed to have limitless energy, judging from the other animals, Kaden was confident that it was likely to crash pretty soon too.

At that moment, a shadow crept up from behind him, "You'll be here a while," Varin whispered in his ear, causing him to jump in surprise. "That one is like the Vitalizer Tortoise, it just doesn't stop," she added with a shake of her head.

Kaden quickly calmed himself down and turned away from the window to hide his reaction, "You got back fast for someone who just blew up a whole lab… again," he mocked, as he went to go retrieve his digi-pad.

Varin shrugged with no sign of shame, "It's not like ‘I’ have to clean up the mess," she countered as she followed him to the desk where he’d left the device.

Kaden shook his head, "So what is ‘Lorna’ anyway?" he asked as he sat down and began digitally making the request for Animal Care to come down and pick-up the kittens and puppies, "some kind of bio-bomb spitting amoeboid?"

Varin laughed and took a seat across from Kaden, "If only,” she lamented with a grin. “at least then I'd have an excuse for all the damage she causes. But no, Lorna is my lab assistant and she's always causing problems. She's actually a brilliant geneticist, but she's just so clumsy," Varin explained while shaking her head sadly.

Kaden didn't look up from his work, but laughed all the same, "Ha, I'm surprised you haven't failed her out of the academy, let alone keep her as your assistant," he said, only half-jokingly. "Since when did you have such a kind heart?"

Varin raised an accusing eyebrow, "I should be the one asking you that same thing," she retaliated indignantly, as if being called ‘kind hearted’ had been an insult. "Who's this rich girl you brought down here? I didn't know you had friends, let alone a girlfriend."

This time Kaden stopped what he was doing and looked up from his digi-pad, "She's not my girlfriend... first of all, and secondly, how do you know she's rich?"

Varin shrugged, "The way she walks, the way she talks, that sheltered 'Oh, help the poor, injured kitten' attitude. You learn to see it after a while. After all, there are only two kinds of students here, those that get by on skill and those that get by with bolts."

Kaden set down his digi-pad with an irritated grunt, "You may be right about her financial status, but don't you dare judge her abilities," he defended hotly. "Her skill with the Harmonixium is way above most and I know she didn't use bolts to get it."

Varin raised an eyebrow again, this time deeply intrigued. She then glanced over to the observation window and watched Sorana use the cat toy to entertain the tan kitten for a few seconds before turning back to Kaden, "What a gallant gentleman you are," she said mockingly. "Though, it does call into question how true your ‘first of all’ statement was."

Kaden just shook his head and went back to his digi-pad, "What, are you saying, that a friend can't defend another friend from unjustified insults behind their back?"

Varin smiled almost pityingly, "Of course I’m not saying that. In fact, I'd say that's what a good friend ‘should’ do. What I ‘am’ saying is that a boy and a girl can't be 'just friends'," she explained. "It's simply not in the genetics."

"Oh no!" Kaden responded sarcastically, not looking up from his digi-pad. "Does that mean the two of us aren’t friends? Or do you have hidden feelings for me too?"

Varin's smile didn't waver, "Oh to be young and naïve again," she mused longingly.

"You're only three years older than me!" objected Kaden.

"Hush, I’m in character," she ordered before refocusing herself and reapplying her pitying smile. "Of course we're ‘not’ friends. We are master and pupil, colleagues maybe, occasional partners in crime, but ‘our’ relationship is based on business. What's your relationship with that girl based on?"

Kaden finished the service order form on his pad and looked up at Sorana through the window. The tan-furred kitten had managed to somehow climb onto her back and she was desperately trying to catch it before it got tangled in her long hair… too late.

Kaden laughed to himself for a moment before replying, "We're two good friends with a long history," he insisted resolutely.

"Fine," Varin replied in apparent concession. "but, if you're going to stick with that story, at least tell me about this 'long history' that makes you two so close."

Kaden sighed before leaning back in his chair and thought hard for a moment, "Alright, but you have to promise not to tell anyone,” he offered.

Varin looked hurt, “You think I’d share personal information like some common gossip?” she asked indignantly.

“Not a common one, no,” Kaden answered as he looked straight at the small digi-pad (mostly likely with built-in video and audio recorders) that Varin was attempting to stealthily remove from her lab coat. “I mean it Varin, if you do then that's the end of Bunsen Burner Burger Thursday."

Varin gasped, "But triple 'B' day was only just ‘cooked’ up less than three hours ago! It might have become a 'thing' by the time the urge to tell someone about your undoubtedly sappy and embarrassing story becomes too much to bear... what if I let it slip a year from now?" Varin gasped again in genuine horror. "You wouldn't be able to break B cubed day if it became a…. tradition! Would you?"

Kaden simply held Varin's gaze sternly, "That's how serious this is. Do you understand?"

Varin straightened her posture and matched Kaden's serious gaze, "Ok, I get it."

Kaden nodded his satisfaction and paused a moment to find his center before continuing, "As you might have guessed, I didn't have many friends when I was a kid. Well… actually, I didn't have ‘any’ friends. Sure I got in trouble a lot and yes, I did use some of my ‘peers’ for one or two experiments, but that wasn't the real problem. My ‘real’ problem was that I was just too smart for my own good."

"Ha," Varin scoffed at Kaden's remark.

But Kaden's expression didn't sour, "You can laugh if you want. I know it sounds arrogant, but it's the truth. I was probably around seven or eight when I realized that most kids my age didn’t give a single thought outside of their own little worlds… and I was about ten or eleven when I realized that adults weren’t much better.”

Varin nodded her agreement, “Prophetic words, those.”

Kaden couldn’t be sure if Varin meant what she’d said or if she was mocking him, but it was probably both, so he disregarded it and continued, “When I decided that I couldn't trust my peers and after I doubted my ‘superiors’, I instead focused on myself. Science, art, athletics... I thought that the better I was at everything, the less I’d have to rely on others.”

Kaden paused and shrugged, “And, I was right! Turns out that two heads aren’t always better than one. It may take twice the effort and three times the skill to go it alone, but it’s not an impossible gap to overcome.”

“Ok, now you're just bragging,” interrupted Varin. “I thought you were telling me a story of ‘friendship’?”

“I can do both,” Kaden insisted. “Anyway, things were good for a while. Ironically, my abilities actually started improving my social status. Kids would start coming to me for help and, surprisingly, I even enjoyed helping them. It felt nice to be needed. But, things started getting worse when-

“When you met a Green Lombax,” finished Varin.

Kaden raised an eyebrow curiously.

Varin sighed, “Ugh, ‘green’, as in ‘green with envy’. Everyone got super jealous right?”

"I take it you've had a similar experience?" Kaden asked.

Varin smiled, "I don't mean to boast, but I ‘am’ kind of amazing, if you haven't noticed," she answered proudly. "Besides, Kaden, this is Nova Academy. Everyone here is the best of the best on Fastoon. It's the reason ‘you're’ here after all."

“True,” agreed Kaden with a nod. “Anyway, your right, of course. I honestly didn’t even realize it was jealousy for a long time, so I was just confused by everyone’s behavior. There were times after that where I thought about pretending to be worse at something then I really was, to prevent said jealousy, especially if I didn’t particularly dislike the person I was showing up. But, somewhere along the lines, I picked up that pre-ed. thing about ‘being true to yourself’. I don’t know why I listened to that rule and so few others, but because of it, I refused to put forth anything less than my best. The only problem was... none of those pre-ed. things ever mention that if nobody likes your ‘true self’, they shun you, bully you, and you wind up all alone." 

Varin laughed, a little harshly, Kaden noted, as she saw the similarity in her own childhood, “Hahahaha… yeah.”

Kaden continued, "But, I’m stubborn, so rather than submitting to peer pressure, I just dug my heels in and pressed on. I beat everyone at everything. And if I wasn't the best at something, I would just keep practicing it until I was. Inevitably, everyone I beat would then blame me for their own shortcomings... Until I met Sorana and her Harmonixium, that is."

Varin scrunched her eyebrows in a thoughtful expression, "So you're telling me, that privileged chick over there, who's been petting puppies and kittens non-stop for the past few hours, was the first person to still be your friend after you beat them at something?"

Kaden smiled awkwardly, "Kind of, but there's more to it than that. In her case, it had actually taken me a frustratingly long time to learn the Harmonixium. It’s easily one of the hardest things I've ever done and by the time I was almost as good as she was, we were both in Principle Ed. At that point, I had spent so much time with her, more so than with anyone else, that when we were almost on the same level, I seriously considered not beating someone for the first time in my life." 

Kaden looked off as he remembered the terrible decision he’d had to make as a child, "But," he began again, breaking his gaze and turning back to Varin, "in the end I couldn’t convince myself to do what I ‘wanted’ over what I believed was ‘correct’, and so… I beat her. I don’t really remember when, exactly, I surpassed her in skill, but I remember what mattered... when she’d realized it herself.” 

Kaden paused for dramatic effect before continuing, “She didn't mention it to me or say anything about it, but I could see it tearing her up inside and, to be honest, it hurt to watch. Keep in mind that by this time I had started to enjoy seeing this reaction from my other ‘peers’, especially from the pompous rich kids that Sorana’s school was full of.”

At this, Varin nodded her complete understanding.

Kaden grinned at her response, “So, I braced myself for the inevitable. Just like everyone else, I was sure that Sorana would come to resent me for being better than her, but... she didn't. Weeks went by and even though I knew it bothered her, she never said a word or showed any sign of ill will towards me. If anything, she only tried harder than ever to catch up to me. She probably thought no one noticed her fingers, but I was already ‘very’ familiar with Nanotech scars, even back then."

Varin clapped her hands slowly and faked away a fake tear, "Beautiful! Acceptance at last for the boy who stood too tall," she said. "You could make that into a romance novel."

Kaden laughed at the idea and shook his head. He'd become used to these kinds of comments ever since he’d made the mistake of telling the same story to Alister, "Who in their right minds would possibly want to read a story as cheesy as that?" he asked.

Varin shrugged in reply, "I'm sure there’s bound to be someone out there who would read it and I'm sure that when they do, they'll need a ‘Tissue’," she assured him.

Kaden blinked a few times at Varin’s odd emphasis, but waved the thought away "Anyway, that's not the end of my story,” he continued, “Back then, I was surprised by Sorana's behavior, but to be honest, I was really happy. I had steeled myself so much in preparation to lose my closest, and pretty much only friend, that I hadn't known how much I didn't want to lose her. When I finally realized that she didn't hate me for surpassing her, I can't even describe the relief I felt."

Kaden paused to glance at Sorana through the window. She was sitting on the log while petting the tan-furred kitten softly as it snoozed soundly on her lap. Now that the small creature was finally asleep, it was time to leave the lab as they'd agreed, but that could wait for a few more minutes.

"I'm still waiting to hear the twist," said Varin. "Don't tell me that she's actually a boy?"

Kaden spun his attention back to Varin "What?! No! What?" he said in blindsided befuddlement.

"I'm just saying that it would be a really good twist and it would explain your lack of game without this ‘really’ long life story," Varin insisted.

Kaden shook his head, "Hey, if you don't want to hear the rest of it, then that's fine," he said, before standing up to leave.

Varin rolled her eyes, "Oh grow a tail and suck it up. Now sit back down before I demote you back to level one."

Kaden slowly sat back down, glaring at Varin while he did, "Fine then, where was I? Oh right... Did you know that when a person is training to become a Harmonixium player, they are only truly considered a master after they can compose their own song? The concept being that the only way to make one’s own song from such an unpredictable instrument is to understand it completely. When Sorana finally got the word from her instructors to try and compose her’s, I began to make one as well and it became just another competition between us." 

Kaden scowled as he remembered the unpleasant time, “I was amazed by how difficult composing my own song really was, even by harmonixium standards. I wasn’t sure what to do at first, so I figured I’d start, like most amateur musicians, by studying other works. It didn’t take me long before I had gathered the best and/or most difficult bits from other famous songs and tried stringing them together. It took a while to bridge the verses, but when I was done I had something that was pretty impressive... or, at least I thought it.

“You thought?” repeated Varin with a raised eyebrow.

Kaden nodded and smiled somberly, “Keep in mind that this whole time, Sorana had kept her composition progress very secretive. I just assumed that she was having trouble putting one together and was too embarrassed to show it. Then, after months of refusing, she finally played it for me…”

Kaden stopped talking and looked up, diverting his gaze to the blank, empty ceiling to let his mind focus on the memory of the sound, “It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard... It sounded smoother and softer, yet also louder and stronger than any of the famous songs I'd studied. More than that though, her song was one-hundred percent original, every note and chord completely hers in every way. I don’t even think she did it intentionally, she just never even considered cutting corners and using someone else’s work for ‘inspiration’. After I heard her song and then compared it to my rip-off compilation of other artists, I realized that it was ‘I’ that couldn't match ‘her’."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait… are you saying that 'The Great Kaden of Valmecha's 2nd district' actually lost at something?" asked Varin in genuine surprise.

At this, Kaden smiled, it was a sad smile, but with just a hint of relief behind it, "Yep, I lost, in more ways than one," he admitted. "You see, I never actually learned to ‘play’ the Harmonixium, I just studied other performances along with their music scores and from that, I could perfectly recreate the necessary hand movements. Many Harmonixium players will tell you that it's impossible to encode every raw movement of a song into one’s mind and then cold play it back... but it isn’t. It's not even really that hard, in my opinion.”

Kaden paused to sigh and shake his head, “But, I realized that this meant my playing was no better than a recording. I don't usually give much thought to concepts like 'feelings' or 'having soul', but after seeing what someone who actually had passion for the music, someone who had ‘real’ skill could do… It was the first time I’d ever felt inferior to anyone, ever. 

Kaden’s ears folded down in shame and he cringed, “I... didn’t handle it very well. I tried to run away the first chance I got. I made up some dumb excuse, I can’t even remember what it was, to try and get out of our next joint practice session. That turned out to be the last time I visited our school’s music room… or touched a harmonixium.”

Varin sat back into her chair, which she had inched up to the edge of without realizing it, "Wow, so she doesn't even know that she crushed you like a grape?" she asked, attempting to rub in some salt while she was at it.

Kaden shook his head, "Oh no, she definitely knows,” he said, wearing a genuine smile this time. “Immediately after I stopped playing I also stopped talking to her. She didn’t come to school for a while and when I finally worked up the courage to text-link her, she didn’t respond.” Kaden laughed at his next thought, “Ironically, after all my worry, I ended up losing my closest friend because ‘I’ couldn’t stand being beaten. After that, I didn’t really care about my grades. I had only really kept them up in the first place so that I could go to her stupid, preppy school.”

This time, Kaden winced as he remembered, “I wasn't sure at first, whether Sorana was mad at me or disappointed in me, but then I found out later... she was ‘definitely’ mad at me! We hadn’t spoken for over a week, but I guess when she found out I was ignoring my classes, that was the last bicarbonate nano-straw for her. I don't really remember what happened next all that well, but there was a whole lot of yelling and I remember trying to make myself as small as possible, with my tail between my legs. I think I was even body slammed at some point, but that might be an exaggerated memory. Somewhere along the line, Sorana gave me an ultimatum, I didn’t have to keep playing the harmonixium, but I had to keep up with my schoolwork or else face her wrath.”

“Hmmm, sounds too violent to be true,” intoned Varin as she glanced back at the fluffy animal-loving girl in the Atrium.

“Yeah, she’s stronger than she looks,” he noted before shrugging, “After that, things went right back to normal, except that I no longer practiced the Harmonixium and Sorana wasn't afraid to let me know when I did something ‘displeasing’ anymore. That was a few years ago and she hasn’t once brought up the fact that she beat me. I guess that shows our real differences, I usually try rubbing it in the face of whoever ‘I’ beat."

“Wow,” began Varin in amazement as she shook her head, “That story was… pathetic! You were right, no one would read that book. At least now I know why you two are ‘just friends’, what girl would want a guy as wimpy as you?”

Kaden growled his annoyance, but calmed himself and stood up indignantly, “Whatever, I didn’t ask for your opinion and my life isn’t for your entertainment.”

“Yeah, clearly,” snickered Varin. 

Kaden eyed his instructor, “Careful there, Varin, or I just might take a serious interest in bioengineering,” he threatened.

“Pft, you can try,” Varin laughed dismissively. “But that would just make me the ‘second’ person to beat you.”

At this, Kaden’s expression stiffened and instead of replying, he mouthed an inaudible reply and became more interested in his digi-pad again.

Varin, having expected their round of trash talk to continues , as usual, studied his expression in confusion for a short while. Then, a wicked grin twisted her own features.

“But that title’s already been taken, hasn’t it?” she fired into the dark, knowing she had hit her mark as Kaden’s expression soured further.

“It was just a fluke,” Kaden tried to counter.

But Varin wasn’t satisfied, “But it wasn’t a fluke when the rich girl handed you your tail?”

“That was different,” Kaden said through gritted teeth. “Sure I lost to Sorana in harmonixium playing, but it’s not like she beat me in chess or something. I would never ‘actually’ lose to someone in a battle of the mind.”

Varin’s smile only twisted more, “Sounds like someone is in denial,” she noted mockingly.

Kaden just shook his head, “I’ll prove it then. Next time I see Kor, I’ll make it clear that what happened last time was just dumb luck.”

At this, Varin’s grinning, instigating expression faded and was replaced with a serious one, “You mean Kor, as in, Kor Vol’terran?” she asked.

Now it was Kaden’s turn to be confused by his opponent’s turn of behavior.

Still in fight mode, Kaden responded, “Yeah, Kor Vol’terran. What other Kor is there?”

Varin’s smile then returned, but it was different somehow, "You've got a grudge against the Red Reaper of Nova?" she laughed. "How, exactly, do you plan on beating him?"

Kaden gave Varin a very pleased look this time, "I'm glad you asked," he began eagerly. "I've been working on all kinds of new weapons for next semester's MSE tournament. This time I’ll be ready and things will end ‘much’ differently."

Varin laughed again, "Well good luck with that. Though I doubt things will go your way, seeing as how Kor got promoted to level three and won't be in the tournament."

Kaden’s breath caught in his throat so suddenly that he inhaled some of his saliva and choked on it. He spluttered and coughed violently until he'd finally cleared his throat, "Wha-what do you mean he's a level three?!" he demanded angrily.

"Oh, so you really didn't know? Well, then I'm glad I got to be the one to tell you," she said cheerfully. "You won't be seeing him at any MSE tournament again, I guarantee that."

Kaden slid back into his chair as the news sank in. Just when he'd gotten such a great advantage (all the nanites from the Battleplex) and just when he'd thought the time was coming for his revenge, the goalposts simply moved further away.

Varin watched Kaden sink into depression with both interest and amusement, "You know,” she began cryptically, “if you're serious about facing Kor, legitimately of course, then I might be able to help you."

Kaden’s ears perked up. Slowly, he raised his head to look at Varin with a mixture of both interest and suspicion, "How?" he asked simply.

"Have you ever heard of 'Capture the Depot'?" she asked.

Kaden nodded, "I have," he answered as he recalled having read something about the combat sport in the Nova Academy archives.

"Well, I happen to know of a team, a good one, that's currently looking for a couple of new members for the upcoming season," Varin explained. "They're pretty selective, but I could probably get you an interview if you really wanted."

"Yes," Kaden answered firmly and without hesitation.

Varin smiled again, "Looks like you have conviction at least. Alright, even though it's on short notice, I'm sure they'll see you if I ask, but they’re a little extreme, so don't say I didn't warn you. Also, the deadline for Capture the Depot participant registrations is tonight at Last Hour. I'll link you if they say yes, but I suggest you get ready... and by ready, I mean bring your combat gear. They won't tolerate being left waiting."

Kaden stood up excitedly, "Oh, Alister's not going to believe this!" he exclaimed, then he suddenly stopped. "Alister!" he shouted with realization. "Varin, would it be ok if I brought another applicant with me?"

Varin put her hand on her chin and thought for a moment, "I guess that's fine. They're considering a large number of other students as well, so two more shouldn't matter. As long as your friend is ready in time. They'll likely want to meet pretty soon."

"Got it," replied Kaden. "I'll link him right now to get ready... Uh, would you mind telling Sorana that it's time to go?" he asked as he remembered Sorana.

He gave a quick glance over to the observation window where Sorana was still gently petting the tan kitten in her lap. The Animal Care unit would arrive in a hover ship above the atrium soon to pick up the animals.

"Fine," agreed Varin, though reluctantly.

Kaden took off the moment she had agreed and ran out into the hall to alert Alister of the news. 

Varin shook her head and smiled in Kaden's wake,  _ ‘If nothing else, at least my new student is interesting,’ _ she thought. 

She then turned and walked toward the observation window. Inside Sorana was still in the same position as before. Varin reached over to turn on the out-speakers… but was surprised to find that they were already turned on.

* * *

Sorana's hand had been gently stroking the tan kitten subconsciously for the past few minutes. Her heart was racing so fast that she could hear the pounding in her ears and feel it hammering against her chest. Her mind was nothing but a buzz of jumbled thoughts, as it spun wildly in an attempt to comprehend what she'd just heard.

When Sorana had first realized that Kaden and Varin didn't know they'd left the microphone on, she had intended to tell them about it, but her playful mood had driven her curiosity. 

Now, she had just learned that one of the most defining moments in her and Kaden's history hadn't happened the way she'd always thought!

At first, she questioned if what Kaden was saying had been true, but she knew that it must have been. Kaden hadn't known that she could hear him and even if he did, there was no way even he'd make a joke like this.

"Sorina!" came Varin’s voice over the out-speakers. 

Sorana didn't respond because not only was her mind on a rollercoaster, but Sorina wasn't her name. 

"Hey, rich girl!" Varin tried again.

The loud noise caused a few of the animals to stir, but they were far too sleepy to move much. Sorana was shaken into focus by it though, and she lifted the tan kitten as she stood up.

"Yes?" she responded to no one in particular.

"Come on, it's time to go," Varin informed her. 

Sorana turned to look at the observation window to the see the brown-furred Lombax staring at her and tapping the top of her own left eye, which was where most heavily upgraded NID users had their chronometers displayed. 

Sorana then looked down at the kitten and couldn't figure out what she was supposed to do. 

Varin rolled her eyes, "Just set it on the ground anywhere and get into the lab. We'll take care of the rest," she instructed.

Sorana did as she was told and followed the orders on autopilot. A moment later she found herself standing in the lab with Varin, who was giving her an odd look as if trying to read her mind. 

Kaden walked back into the lab after what seemed like, but Sorana could not be sure of, only a few seconds. 

Her tan-furred friend then began talking, but Sorana couldn't seem to hear what he was saying. Her mind, so filled with thoughts, didn’t have the capacity to perceive them at the moment.

Kaden then turned to look directly at her.

Time seemed to slow down in Sorana’s mind as she realized his attention was on her.

And, after what felt like an eternity, Kaden spoke softly, "Come be with me."

"W-what?" demanded Sorana in a cracked voice.

Kaden gave her an odd look, "I said, 'Come on, we have somewhere to be'," he repeated.

"O-oh," said Sorana distractedly.

* * *

The two of them had said goodbye to Varin, though she didn’t acknowledge Sorana, before Kaden had led the way out of the lab and back down the hallways. 

The young Lombax had tried to speak to her as they walked, but Sorana couldn't seem to figure out what he was saying, or what she was replying with, for that matter. She knew that her responses had been short and curt because the mood got awkward and Kaden stopped talking shortly after.

But it all passed in a haze. Before she knew it, the two of them were back on the tram and heading out of Synaptic Park.

They rode the tram for a while, but Kaden continued to say nothing as he sat across from her in the passenger car. Instead, he was looking at her, studying her, curiously.

While Sorana’s mind spun itself madly with half-processed questions of why he was staring or what the look could mean, she finally came to the realization that it was just her and Kaden alone in the tram car.

All at once, her friend’s gaze took on a new intensity. It suddenly felt like his eyes were like summertime solar rays, they were so bright and drew her attention, but she couldn’t even come close to looking directly at them. She could even feel her face grow warmer under their glow. 

Then, a slight jostle of the tram car made their eyes meet and they instantly became locked. Fastoon's sun was setting in the window behind Kaden and it silhouetted him as he continued to stare unblinkingly at her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break from the sight.

"I have feelings for you," he said.

"What?!" blurted Sorana, on the verge of hysteria.

"I said, 'are you feeling tired too'?" Kaden repeated with a deep look of concern. "You played with all of those animals for several hours straight. You must be exhausted," he added, searching for an explanation to Sorana’s behavior

"Oh… No, I'm... I’m fine," Sorana insisted.

Kaden's look of concern didn't fade as Sorana mentally berated herself for being such a mess. Just because something in the past didn't happen as she'd thought, doesn't mean that anything was different now. She needed to keep her composure because there was no ‘reason’ to be acting this way… she told herself. 

As the tram came to a halt, Kaden stood up cautiously led the way out of the car.

Sorana followed, then took a deep, calming breath before stepping out onto the tram platform.

This platform wasn't the same one they'd departed from earlier. This time they had arrived at a hub station, where all the academy trams could connect. It was also full of other students, all bustling about and trying to get to their trams. 

Sorana followed Kaden as best she could, but she still couldn't focus right. Her mind kept wandering to outlandish thoughts until she accidentally bumped into Kaden's back after he'd stopped walking. 

Kaden turned around immediately and looked at Sorana with an investigative eye, then he glanced at the crowd around them.

Seemingly making up his mind about something, Kaden suddenly reached toward Sorana and firmly took her by the wrist, before walking off and pulling her along as quickly as he was willing. 

Sorana knew that Kaden hated crowds. The chaotic nature of them drove him crazy, but there was a different kind of urgency in the way he was walking this time. 

A moment later, the two of them were free of the main thrall of students. The lifts that would take them to the center of the academy were just ahead, but Kaden suddenly veered off course.

This surprised Sorana most of all as she was led to the opposite side of a small information booth, out of sight from most of the other students.

Kaden then pulled Sorana close and looked her straight in the eye, "Tell me how you feel," he demanded.

"What?" replied Sorana in a hushed voice... they were so close.

Kaden's look of concern deepened and he put his arms on Sorana's shoulders, "I said, 'tell me how you feel'," he repeated. "You're acting strange, is everything alright? Did Varin do something to you?"

The faint scent of burnt electronics, caustic chemicals, and lavender fur wash filled Sorana’s nostrils. Kaden had always smelled like that and Sorana had always noticed it, but this time it just seemed to be so much stronger, "N-no, of course not," she answered. 

Sorana then gathered all of her mental fortitude. She closed her eyes and recomposed herself before matching Kaden’s gaze, "I'm fine, Kaden, really. There's nothing wrong with me, I’m just a little tired," she insisted.

Kaden didn't look satisfied, but reluctantly he nodded his acceptance, "Alright then. Well, like I said, I have to go meet Alister in the Military Field, so I'll see you later?"

Sorana nodded, "See you later, Kaden," she said calmly.

With one last, concerned look, Kaden turned and headed off towards the Science Field teleporter terminal at the far end of the station. 

Sorana continued to hold her position for several more seconds, just staring off in the direction Kaden had left well after he’d vanished from sight. Then, suddenly she moved, turning on her heel and swiftly making her way to the grav-lifts. There, she stood in line for the next available lift. 

A few seconds in, however, her mind was inching its way back down to its state of incoherent noise as she tried, once again, to make sense of her thoughts.

"Kor's a level three!" she blurted out as the memory of her mission crossed the quagmire of her cerebrum.

"What?" shouted a nearby student in complete surprise. "I've got a thousand bolts riding on him to win the next MSET!” The student then turned to another student, “I guess that bet's off huh?"

The first student's companion turned to him with a grin, "Oh no it's not," they declared. "You go shooting your mouth off that you can guarantee the Red Reaper will win the next MSET for a week solid and think you can just get away with it? Well, you bet me that he'd win the MSET and seeing as how he won't even be participating, I guess that means he loses by default," they explained with a sneer.

"Oh yeah?" countered the first one. "Just try and get a single bolt out of me. I dare ya."

The two students grabbed each other by the shirt and wrestled violently while bumping and knocking into other students. The crowd was quickly disarrayed by the scuffle and soon several large security bots came over to break up the fight.

Sorana didn't notice any of this, however. In the midst of the ruckus, she heard a familiar beep that signaled availability of a grav-lift and she autonomously walked towards it. 

As she rode the lift to the top of the mountain, she furiously tried to search for answers to her thoughts. But, by the time she reached the top, she knew that she couldn't figure this out. The simple fact was that she didn't understand her own thoughts because she didn't understand the subject itself.

For this reason and no other, Sorana felt an immense urge to tell someone about what she’d learned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vitalizer Tortoise - is essentially the Lombax equivalent of the Energizer Bunny. To Lombax culture, where a nuclear explosion can be contained in a triple ‘A’ battery, having your power supply represented as a tortoise is preferred. This is because endurance and stability are considered much more important. It’s also ironic, since endurance is what the Energizer Bunny is promoting, but the hare is the lazy, short-winded one.
> 
> You Gonna Need One - Varin’s emphasis on the word ‘Tissue’, is an old shout out to one of my first real fans of the book, Fanfiction user Tina Tissue.
> 
> Last Hour - is the Military Field’s equivalent of ‘Lights Out’, after which all students without special permission are required to be in their assigned sleeping quarters until Reveille.


	4. Initiation

Kaden and Alister sat together in a small waiting room near the Military Field training arenas. They were both wearing full combat gear.

Kaden was again wearing his own personal suit of armor. Despite his positive experience with the G-83, he didn’t need that much armor normally. More importantly, though, the G-83 series just didn't have the integrated circuitry that he needed to control all the combat devices he wanted, some of which had already been added to his newly repaired suit.

As Kaden ran suit diagnostics, Alister sat tapping his foot nervously. 

The white-furred Lombax hadn't really known what to think when Kaden suddenly 'convenient called' him over his NID and ordered him to get his combat gear and be ready to join a CtD team. 

Of course, Alister knew what Capture the Depot was, but very rarely did anyone below a level four participate in them. He also knew that registration for new team members was closing tonight and couldn't imagine what team would still be looking for members this late… and that worried him.

* * *

Varin opened a door to a dark room and confidently walked in. She sat down next to one of the three figures that were already seated within and turned to the large holo-screen that they were all studying intently. 

On display was a small rectangle which showed a security camera live feed of two armored Lombaxes sitting in a lobby. The rest of the holo-screen was composed of two open files on the Nova Academy status of two students named Kaden and Alister.

"Nice of you to join us, Varin," said a female voice from one of the shadowy figures. 

The person it had come from was tall, with tan fur and brown stripes. Her head was shaved to the point of matching her normal fur length, which was common for most students of the Military Field.

"You're welcome, Boss," replied Varin arrogantly.

The Lombax called ‘Boss’ smiled at her response, "So, tell us more about these two Fuzzies you brought us. I hope they're at least worth the effort I put into walking here."

Varin shrugged, "Unfortunately, I don't really know much about them," she admitted, causing an unhappy stir among the group. "Kaden is a new student of mine. He's not even in the military field and his MSET score was zero, but I know that he'd make an amazing tech. His Science Field scores are very high for his level and age. However, this is my first time seeing the other one."

Another figure in the room, a male Lombax with black fur, turned to address their leader, "So, we have yet another set of useless fuzz balls for the grinder, huh boss? Registration is in less than eight hours. I say we cut ‘em now and save us both the trouble."

The third figure replied from the darkness, "The greatest musicians can make beautiful music from even a poorly made instrument, but even ‘they’ can do nothing with no instruments at all," he countered.

This third Lombax had white fur and was male as well. He was also enormous! Easily one of the largest Lombaxes at the academy, or possibly on Fastoon, and his body appeared to be made from pure muscle. The chair he sat in had to activate a micro anti-grav field just to handle his weight.

"Ha, he means you don't have a choice," laughed Varin. "You guys have scared off every new recruit that asked to join before pre-season even started. Maybe you shouldn't have been so mean when you thought you had a full roster."

The black-furred Lombax sighed, "I don't like the idea, but it's not my decision to make."

The leader nodded, "Don't worry Wraith, I know about this one, Alister Azimuth,” she said with a finger pointed to the white Lombax’s file. “He took second in the last MSET. If he was good enough to beat Vi then maybe he'll fare better than she did."

"Huh, I hope so," said Wraith, with just a hint of a sneer. 

The one known as ‘Boss’ eyed the back of Wraith's head coldly and both Varin and the large Lombax looked at each other in concern.

"You forget your audience," warned the large Lombax.

Wraith turned to the large Lombax with a look of confusion and then, with sudden realization, turned to face his leader's gaze, "Boss..." he began hesitantly. "I didn't mean..." but his voice trailed off as she stared him down.

A long, silent moment later she breathed out slowly, before turning back to the holo-screen, "No... you're right," she admitted somberly. "If we're going to have any hope of winning the Platinum Trophy, we'll ‘need’ someone better, so I guess our choice is made... Azimuth will be our new team member."

"And what about Kaden?" asked Varin with a note of concern in her voice that seemed odd to her three companions.

Their leader turned to her with a questioning look, "I've seen him fight, he's not bad, but we already have a Tech. don't we?"

"Uhm, about that..." Varin began guiltily. "Have I ever mentioned how much I don't like getting hit with giant anti-tank OmniWrenches?"

Wraith glared at Varin accusingly, "Are you saying that you're chickening out!?" he demanded.

Varin returned the gaze with her usual, unconcerned expression, "Sure, if that's what it means to you," she answered calmly. She then turned back to their leader, "You know I wouldn't just bail on you guys, but you also know that I'm useless in a fight. That hasn't been a problem until now, but with Kor's new attack strategy, you'll need every member of the Tough Nuts to know how to handle a wrench. Not to mention Kaden's considerable mechanical skills."

The tan Lombax eyed her teammate intensely, "Varin, you're the best Med. Tech. in Nova. If it weren't for your nano-tuning then Vi might have been put out of commission for the rest of the season. Even if Kaden is as good of a Mech. Tech. as you say, then he can just work on our gear pre-match like most Mech. Techs. do."

Varin shook her head, "Kaden won't take a support role, it's not his style. Besides, he wants a shot at Kor."

"Then he'll have to get in line," interrupted Wraith indignantly.

Varin simply ignored the comment and continued, "I know you'll stand a better chance of winning if you make Kaden your Tech. instead of me," she insisted. 

The room fell silent again as the ‘Tough Nuts’ considered the proposal.

The large Lombax broke the silence first by clearing his throat, "Ahem, even the finest violin cannot compete with a guitar in a competition of rock and roll," he said. "There is no shame in admitting it."

"Thank you, Torque," said Varin with a nod of appreciation. She then turned back to their leader, "I'm not saying you have to make a decision now. Just give him a chance to prove himself. Give him… a test."

There was a clear change of atmosphere from the other three Lombaxes when Varin had finished speaking.

"You're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting, are you?" asked the tan-furred Lombax with the ghost of grin hanging on her lips.

Wraith spoke up, "You know we stopped doing that with Fuzzies. Even I'm not ‘that’ heartless."

Torque nodded his head in agreement, "Any instrument is useless if it's smashed to pieces."

Varin leaned back in her chair with no evidence of worry in her expression, "I'll make you a bet then, test them both at the same time. If they don't break, you take them both and I sit on the sidelines this season. If not, then stop after you break the first one and then just take the one that's still standing."

The leader of the Tough Nuts contemplated the idea for a moment before grinning broadly and standing up, "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said. "Tell them to head into the arena."

After she left, Varin turned to Torque and Wraith with her own grin, "A hundred bolts says they both make it," she declared as she slammed her hand down on the table.

Wraith put his hand down on the table as well, "Hundred and fifty says your nerd breaks first," he countered. 

Varin smiled and nodded her acceptance to the wager. Then they both turned to Torque eagerly.

The large Lombax didn't move for a while. Then, slowly, he placed his hand down as well, "This match will end with ‘both’ those young performers in pieces," he said. Varin and Wraith looked at him with puzzled expressions. Torque smiled knowingly, "A true artist like ‘Lacera Suraisu’ never halts a good performance mid-way."

* * *

Kaden and Alister walked into the arena as Varin had instructed them to over Kaden's NID. Standing in the center of the circular room was a battle-ready Lombax. The only thing either young Lombax could see of their face was a set of lips under their helmet's dark visor.

Kaden had spent half the time sitting in the waiting room wondering what he'd need his combat gear for and the other half concerned about Sorana's odd behavior. Now though, his mind cleared itself, because the first question had been answered.

"See those weapons on the table there?" said the mysterious Lombax without moving a muscle. Kaden and Alister turned to see a table with several devices on it before turning back and nodding. "Those and your wrenches are the only weapons you may use, so dump whatever you don't need now."

Alister and Kaden looked at each other thoughtfully for a second before setting about the task of removing their gear. 

Alister dropped his grenade holster, his bomb glove, and his Combuster. Kaden removed the heavy modules on his gauntlets for his shields and disconnected his utility pack. The anti-grav motors in it deactivated and the heavy metal backpack that held all of Kaden's special gadgets and power cells slammed into the ground with a loud thud. 

Alister gave Kaden a sarcastic look, to which Kaden simply shrugged before shifting his gaze forward again.

Seeing that the two of them were finished, the mysterious Lombax spoke again, "Here are the rules: You may only use your wrenches and those weapons. Once you step onto the arena floor, I will attack you. If one of you manages to get a single, clean hit on me, you win. If you leave the ring, lose consciousness, or die... then you lose. End of rules. You may proceed when ready."

"Hold on," said Kaden. "Who are you?"

Lacera's lips twitched as if to smile, but returned to their neutral state, "If you're still conscious by the time we're done, I'll tell you," she replied with no indications of jest. "Now grab your gear."

Alister didn't move, "You really think you can take us both without a scratch?" he asked.

The Lombax didn't reply or show any sign of having heard him, she simply stood there waiting. Eventually, Alister and Kaden turned and walked toward the weapons table. 

On it were six weapons from the three basic combat weapon types. There was one for each of them, a blaster type weapon (similar to Alister's Combuster), a shotgun type weapon, and explosive type weapons in the form of two bomb-gloves.

Kaden lifted one of the blasters and magnetically attached it to the lower-left side of his midsection. Upon detecting the magnetic grip of the holster, the blaster folded up to shrink its profile for storage. 

Kaden and Alister each equipped the rest of their weapons and turned to face their opponent. Alister had his blaster drawn while Kaden hefted his shotgun.

Just before they stepped onto the arena floor, the Lacera spoke again, "I will only use my weapons so long as you have yours drawn," she informed them, before dropping down into a defensive stance and drawing a long OmniWrench from seemingly nowhere.

Kaden and Alister both recognized the weapon. One of its prongs extended down to its handguard in a very streamlined fashion and its tip was sharpened to a point. It was called a KatomniWrench, because it had been designed to be more like a sword than a wrench. Its slim profile made it lighter and the extended prong increased its striking range. Judging from the size of the one the Lacera was wielding though, it seemed that she had an even more streamlined version than a standard one.

This told Kaden that she was probably quick with her strikes and it was all the more reason for him to keep her at a distance with his weapons. He and Alister turned to each other and saw that they were both thinking the same thing. Silently they agreed that their enemy was probably more skilled with a wrench then they were and that they should keep their weapons drawn. 

They then simultaneously took a step forward.

The grenade had closed most of the distance between her and her targets before either Kaden or Alister had even registered that she’d switched weapons. They both dove and the orb exploded on the spot they had just vacated.

Kaden got up quickly, but was immediately chased by a stitching line of blaster rounds. Alister came to his friend's aid with his own salvo of shots. 

Lacera jumped backward and dodged them easily, pulling her shotgun out before she landed. Alister had only just realized that there was a gun aimed at him when he was peppered with the flak of a spread-shot round.

From the range it was fired, the shot wasn't too damaging. But a lucky piece of shrapnel managed to find a soft spot in his leg armor. 

Dropping to one knee Alister tried to raise his weapon again. There was a loud bang that echoed around the arena just before he brought his gun to the spot where his opponent had been a mere millisecond ago. 

Alister stared, dumbfounded, at where his opponent should have been. Then, he was brought back to reality by a click of metal on metal and Alister turned his head just in time to look down the barrel of a shotgun and see the grinning, half-hidden face of his opponent on the other side.

Thinking quickly, Alister dropped his blaster and it clattered to the ground at the Lacera's feet. 

There was a short, cold laugh from her before she kicked the blaster out of the ring and lowered the shotgun. 

Alister breathed a sigh of relief, but a moment later the shotgun came sailing back toward him, being used like a club this time, but halfway to his face, it seemed to magically transform into a wrench before it struck.

Bells went off in Alister's head as the blow left a deep dent in his helmet and a crack in his visor. 

As his head was sent flying with the force of the strike and as his body followed, another grenade appeared, just far enough for Alister to be clear of its blast zone. 

There was another strange bang, this time emanating from Lacera's feet, where a jet of hyper-ionized plasma sent her flying just ahead of the explosive shockwave that gave chase a second later.

The overdriven jump-pulse of her hoverboots sent her straight towards the explosive’s source, Kaden. 

Kaden offered a small portion of his brain function to be amazed at how she'd not only dodged the explosion so quickly, but that she had dodged it in a way that was also an attack. 

Kaden then switched from his bomb-glove to his shotgun as quickly as he could, but just as he had raised its barrel, a round from another shotgun exploded in his chest at nearly point blank range. The blast sent him sprawling and gasping to the floor. His own shotgun slid from his grip and skidded out of the arena.

Kaden rolled off of his back and onto his stomach. Luckily, the attack had hit the largest piece of armor he had, the chest plate, and most of the force had been absorbed. 

Unluckily, he was now unarmed and had a blaster pointed directly at him, only inches away. 

_ 'Wait a second...' _  he wondered,  _ 'when did she switch to a blaster?'  _ He didn't bother finishing the thought as it looked like this was the end for him.

But Lacera didn't pull the trigger. Just like with Alister, she refused to use her weapon if he didn't have one. Instead, she swung at Kaden with her wrench which had suddenly appeared back in her hands. 

Kaden put his arms to his face to guard it, but his assailant pulled the attack at the last moment. Instead, she took a quick side-step to get behind Kaden before stopping and raising one leg, as if to kick a ball. She then mentally activated another jump-pulse from only her one boot. 

With the added force of the super compressed plasma, the assailant planted her armored boot squarely in Kaden's tail end, flying head-over-tail, straight into the dazed and just now standing Alister. They both crashed back into the ground.

* * *

"GOAL!" shouted Wraith and Varin while simultaneously raising their arms high in the famous referee symbol for scoring a goal in a hoverball game. The two of them, along with Torque, were watching the match unfold, unseen in the observation stands above the arena.

"An excellent show!" agreed Torque through a mouthful of popcorn.

* * *

Kaden carefully helped a twice-disoriented Alister get shakily to his feet, while keeping a wary eye on their opponent. Lacera, though, seemed content with allowing her prey to regain their orientation. She just stood there calmly, on the spot she had just punted Kaden from.

Kaden took this small break to analyze the situation. Foremost on his mind was how much his tail was stinging at this moment, but that could wait for later. The next thing he analyzed was his opponent's speed and skill. 

Lombaxes were known for their speed and agility, as well as their diverse gadgetry. It was said that if there was a situation then there was always a Lombax weapon or gadget that was built for it. 

Higher level Lombax warriors are trained to implement a vast range of weapons during any single combat mission and their skills were measured in both the number of weapons they can field and the speed at which they could swap between them.

It was clear that this Lombax was a high-level master of weapon switching, since Kaden wasn't even able to even see her do it. Conversely, Kaden and Alister were relatively low leveled in that category. Alister hated the complication of dealing with so many different devices, one of the many reasons why he preferred grenades and bomb-gloves to most conventional arsenals. 

Kaden, on the other hand, simply lacked the reflexes that allowed for such rapid selection and implementation. This was why most of his weapons were integrated into his gauntlets and/or controlled by his NID.

"What do we do?" asked Alister, still a little wobbly from the head trauma.

"We attack her together, wrenches only," Kaden concluded. "We can't beat her at switching speed, but if she won't use weapons so long as we don't use ours then we can overwhelm her. Are you ready?"

"Yes," answered Alister with squinted eyes, "but which one's the real one?"

Kaden turned to his friend and saw the still dazed look in his eye, "Alister, follow my finger," he ordered before raising his index finger and holding it up just in front of Alister's face. Kaden then moved it slowly until Alister's eyes refocused, "Better?"

Alister blinked a few more times before turning to their opponent and hefting his wrench, "Yeah, let's do this."

Kaden nodded and together they both charged toward their calmly-waiting enemy. 

Alister reached her first. He swung lightly, knowing full well that his opponent would either dodge or block it, which left him plenty of leverage to react. Even so, Lacera’s counterattack was swift. She parried Alister's wrench, but was able to bring hers back just as quickly as Alister could. He just barely managed to stop the strike aimed for his ribs.

Kaden came in a second later swinging with full force. Knowing that his opponent couldn't block a heavy attack well with her light wrench, he was counting on the fact that she'd have no choice but to dodge it. Everyone knows that if you can predict your enemy's moves, they're done for.

Lacera dodged the attack smoothly, knowing that Kaden had no chance of bringing it back in time to guard against an immediate counter strike. 

Unfortunately for her, she was fighting more than one opponent. Alister had seen Kaden's move and figured out what he was planning. His wrench was swinging for the exact spot Lacera would be before she even reached it. 

Still in motion from her last evasion and unable to change direction fast enough, Lacera had no choice but to parry Alister's strike.

It took a lot of strength to block Alister's heavier attack with her lighter wrench, so much so that the recoil from the collision of their micro-kinetic multiplier enhanced wrenches sent both weapons reverberating away from each other, and sending a stinging pain into the hands of their wielders. 

Once again, this put Lacera and her opponent on even ground, but, once again, the difficulty of fighting two enemies showed its head. Kaden's swing was already coming at her before the echo of the previous strike had even died.

Just before Kaden's wrench hit its mark, his opponent disappeared with a bang. 

Kaden's body followed through with his swing, but his eyes were already turning to the sound of metal boots screeching to a halt on the arena floor. 

Lacera bled her velocity with practiced ease and stood up to face her opponents once more. She nodded once in a gesture of satisfaction to Kaden and Alister as the two of them quickly reoriented themselves and squared off as well. 

Lacera then pointed her wrench at them and flicked her head back as if to say  _ 'Let's see if you can do it again.' _

Kaden and Alister were all too happy to oblige. Feeling confident from their last exchange, the two Lombaxes charged again. 

This time it was Kaden who reached her first. His strike was on the heavy side and his opponent dodged it easily. Alister's strike came next and it was parried. 

In a blink, Kaden brought his wrench back around for the second strike in his multi-strike combo. 

Lacera once again dodged his attack, but a moment later Alister's second strike whipped through the air and was met with another parry. 

Before anyone could breathe, there was a hushed whistle that warned Lacera of a coming Comet Strike. 

With no time to even see where the attack was coming from, Lacera had to guess and rolled away just in time to avoid Kaden's wrench by a hair's breadth. It continued to whistle as it flew off into the distance

Kaden had chosen wisely not to finish his combo. Besides being predictable, it offered too much time for such a skilled opponent to recover. Now that Lacera had needed to lose her footing to avoid an attack, her recovery time was increased by precious few milliseconds. 

This was more than enough time for Alister to complete the haymaker third strike of his own Multi-strike combo. His attack forced his opponent to bring her weapon to the center of her body for protection, but preventing the recoil effect that she would have used to gain some distance from him. With a thunderous clang and a flash of sparks, Alister’s heavy attack was only just barely halted, but had accomplished its true goal and forced Lacera down to one knee, pinning her to the floor.

Kaden saw this play out before it happened and was already skillfully guiding his Comet-strike's boomerang return on course to collide with his opponent's blindside. 

With nowhere to go, Lacera once again activated her hoverboot overdrive system and launched herself backwards. She managed to avoid Kaden’s attack with the move, but with only one of her feet free, her course was awkward and she only went half the distance she needed.

Alister was back up and on the attack before she had time to recover. Again she was forced to block rather than dodge, but his attack was even stronger than before. With a powerful Hyper-strike, Alister sent shockwaves of numbing pain down Lacera’s arms. 

She was only just barely able to hold off this attack, but was once again pinned to the floor. 

And, once again predicting the opening that Alister would leave, Kaden was in the air before Alister’s strike had even connected and was coming down with his own Hyper-strike. 

In the back of Kaden’s mind elation was taking hold, as he knew there was no way out for his opponent. Lacera couldn't move her body to dodge under the weight of Alister’s attack and her wrench was already occupied for the same reason. 

The cherry on top, Lacera had mistakenly dropped to the same knee as before, meaning the only free boot she had was still cooling down from her last jump-pulse. Another jump-pulse this soon would likely result in a hoverboot explosion. 

" _ This is it!"  _ his mind yelled.

Sparks flew as Kaden drove his wrench down with as much force as he could muster. His visor reflected the bright flashes of superheated metal shavings as he watched with glee the head of his wrench inch its way towards his opponent's heart. 

His mind froze in confusion, however, when his attack was halted a mere centimeter from Lacera’s armor.

Kaden’s opponent had managed to stop his attack with her wrench, but the confused tan Lombax could clearly see that Alister's wrench was ‘also’ still being held back by Lacera's wrench, so then how could both attacks have been stopped? 

Slowly, the cold realization dawned on both him and Alister that Lacera was now holding two KatomniWrenches.

The pair of lips just under Lacera’s dark visor, which had been constantly twitching toward a smile, were now split into a huge grin that spread from ear to ear. 

Very slowly, Lacera licked her lips, as if savoring the sweet taste of something delicious.

"Very good," she whispered. 

Her voice held the tones of barely contained excitement and just a hint of extreme pleasure.

* * *

"Oh no!" exclaimed both Wraith and Varin in unison.

Shortly after the Tough Nuts had established 'the test' for new recruits, Lacera had decided that they should no longer administer 'the test' to Fuzzies. Also, at about the same time, she also realized that she shouldn't use both her KatomniWrenches against most new recruits either. 

Very rarely had anyone ever forced her to use both her weapons until now. Sadly, none of those skilled warriors ever joined the Tough Nuts due to what happened next. 

It wasn't the drawing of both of Lacera's weapons that told the observing Tough Nuts what was coming, though. It was the wicked smile that split their leader's face which sealed the fates of her opponents.

Varin and Wraith turned to Torque who was happily munching his popcorn, "The curtain rises for the finale," he said with the air of someone having just been proven right, "and it will close on an epilogue of pain."

* * *

Lacera allowed herself to fall backwards, pulling her two assailants forward with their own weight, before driving an armored boot into each of their sternums. They were both immediately winded by the attack, but were then literally blown away by the jump-pulses that followed, slamming into their chests so forcefully that their eyes nearly rolled into the back of their heads. Both Lombaxes were sent crashing across the arena floor.

Lacera was on Kaden first. He had only just managed to recover before a KatomniWrench came screaming down to take off his head. 

He parried it with his own wrench, but the recoil left him wide open for the other KatomniWrench to strike his gut. Lacera grinned even wider as she felt the familiar sensation of bone cracking behind armored plate.

Still reeling from the pain, Kaden tried to bring his wrench back from the first encounter, but Lacera was so fast that she had already brought her first wrench in for a second strike to Kaden's chest. 

This attack was then followed by another strike that Kaden managed to counter with his forearm and a fourth that was parried with his wrench. 

Lacera topped her combo off with a sweeping kick that cut Kaden's legs out from under him.

Alister, having only just recovered from Lacera’s kick, charged in to help his besieged friend. 

The white-furred Lombax put everything he had into his attacks. Adrenaline flooded his bloodstream as he swung harder and faster than ever. 

Despite the gusto of his assault, however, Lacera was much more skilled than he was. Each time Alister swung, his wrench was deflected off course by a precise strike with half the power, before a follow-up strike from Lacera's second wrench would hit his body.

Alister didn't feel the pain at first. He knew it was there, but there was too much adrenaline in his system to be bothered by it. He fought like a mad dog and several times his fury driven attacks almost made contact with his enemy's armor, but every time it seemed like he may have gained an upper hand, his opponent quickly dashed his hopes, along with his body, against the floor.

Kaden watched from the ground as Alister was slowly being torn down by the barrage of impacts to his body and limbs. He desperately wanted to go to his friend's aid, but knew that any attempts at rescue would be met with the same fate and it was clear that their opponent was no longer giving them any time to recover. 

Kaden knew that he only had one option left.

Finally, Alister fell to the ground. With his strength exhausted and his mind on the edge of consciousness, he collapsed in a heap at Lacera's feet. Lacera then turned to Kaden. 

Their eyes locked only for a second, before the crack of propulsion jets filled the air, she was within striking distance a second later. 

Kaden put all his effort into his defense. He couldn't prevent many of the blows, but he could at least minimize the damage until the opportunity he was waiting for presented itself. Kaden used his body like the pieces of a chess match, sacrificing hits to regions that were less sensitive, while slowly pulling his enemy into his trap.

Kaden's armor was covered in dents and his whole body felt like one giant bruise when his opponent finally drew back for a heavy double strike... an attack that someone like her couldn't possibly pass up the opportunity to execute when Kaden had so graciously left an opening for it in his defenses. 

With all the speed his numb arms could muster, Kaden drew his blaster and stuck its barrel right in his opponent's face, stopping it mere inches from the dark visor and the wicked grin.

The two combatants stood there for several seconds without moving. Kaden desperately wanted to pull the trigger on the still grinning face... but the twin barrels of a shotgun and blaster pointing back at his own face dissuaded him. 

Lacera hadn't fallen for Kaden's ploy and had drawn her own weapons the very instant that Kaden had reached for his.

Kaden’s mind wrestled with the decision before him like a pair of War Groks over scraps of meat. One side told him that all he had to do to win the match was to pull the trigger and score a single hit. His opponent's grin was the widest he'd seen yet, wickedly curved in the throes of some twisted pleasure, garnered from her love of a violent challenge. She almost seemed to be salivating in anticipation... just daring him to do it... begging him to do it!

However, the other side of Kaden's mind thought much further ahead and that same wicked grin told it everything. His sadistic enemy was simply waiting for him to decide. She was going to let him win the match if he could just prove that he had the tail to take victory from her. However, Kaden also knew that she wouldn't just let him have it without a price. The second he decided to pull the trigger, so would she. Both of her weapons were pointed mercilessly towards his face. Even if Kaden survived, he'd likely spend a long time in a hospital's intensive care unit. 

The logical side of his mind demanded that he find another way, because this one wasn't worth the price of victory.

Halfheartedly, Kaden's fingers loosened on the pistol in his hand and it fell through the air in slow motion, before clacking on the ground and coming to rest at Lacera's feet. The wide grin on her face bent back into a frown.

Lacera clicked her teeth in disappointment, "Tch, what a letdown," she hissed with her guns still raised.

For a moment, Kaden feared that she might just pull the triggers anyway. Then, with a sharp bang, Lacera drove her rocket-propelled, armored knee into his gut, doubling him over and dropping him to his own knees before a sweeping, roundhouse kick to his head sent him sprawling. 

Still dazed and confused Kaden crawled away from his tormenter as fast as he could, as he gasped for air and his vision faded from the impact.

Lacera shook her head and looked down at the blaster on the floor, "It's not nice to lead a girl on like that," she taunted angrily, before lining up a kick to send the weapon out of the arena. "Maybe one day when you’ve managed to grow a tai-"

Just before Lacera's boot reached the pistol, the plasma capacitor, that Kaden had rigged to overcharge, reached critical and exploded with the force of more than a hundred individual pistol rounds going off at once. Lacera was blasted clear off her feet before being sent skidding across the floor in a shower of sparks and shrapnel. 

When Lacera’s body had come to a rest, Kaden squinted through blurry eyes at the sprawled form of his enemy, her armor covered in scorch marks and her body showing no signs of movement.

"I'm... sorry to disappoint you," he wheezed as he got unsteadily to his feet.

With a cautious eye on Lacera's body, Kaden gingerly made his way to Alister's side. 

The white-furred Lombax was conscious and breathing shallowly, but he was also wearing a small smile, glad that he’d managed to buy Kaden enough time to come up with a plan. 

With a great deal of effort, he was able to reach up and take Kaden's hand when it was offered. 

The two said nothing as Alister used Kaden's shoulder to lean on and they both took a moment to recount the past few minutes. The two friends looked at each other, bruised and battered with barely enough strength between them to stand and they started to laugh.

Then, the room suddenly went silent once again as the form of Lacera began to stir. 

Kaden and Alister watched as she sat up on the floor. She then stretched her neck out one way and then the other before rising to her feet with her face turned away from her opponents.

"We won!" declared Kaden to Lacera's back. "An explosion to the face counts as a clean hit, right?"

Lacera didn't show any sign of having heard him, she simply stood there. After a moment, she turned to face them with her previous, neutral expression back on her lips. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. 

She reached out with her tongue and licked the wound experimentally. She then swirled the liquid in her mouth for a while, savoring the rare taste of her own blood, before spitting out a wad of red saliva onto the floor.

In a flash, Lacera was charging forward again, with both KatomniWrenches in her hands.

Kaden and Alister pulled out their wrenches in surprise, but stood to face her regardless. 

Just before reaching striking distance, Lacera pulsed her jumpboots and drove a rocket-propelled shoulder guard into Alister's stomach, sending him flying out of the ring before slamming into the arena wall.

Kaden immediately swung in retaliation, but Lacera parried it with ease, before spinning around to deliver a quick strike to the back of Kaden's knee with one of her wrenches. 

Like tree being felled by a logger, Kaden toppled backwards toward the ground. Lacera didn't let him simply fall, however. 

Reversing her spin, she came back around to deliver another blow to Kaden's face, shattering half his visor and breaking his nose. The force also sent him on his way to the ground with an extra push.

Lacera put one leg over Kaden's body and straddled him before driving both her wrenches point first into the floor on either side of his head. She tore off her helmet and bent over close to his face.

"The name’s Lacera, Lacera Suraisu," she said casually from atop Kaden's sternum. "My friends call me Cera, " she added, before leaning even closer and planting a kiss on the remaining half of Kaden's visor. It left a bloody lipstick-mark behind, "but you can call me 'Boss'. Welcome to the Tough Nuts."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Convenient Call - is a term specific to Kaden where he hacks someone else’s NID so he can force them to answer his call, thus ‘conveniently’ saving said person the hassle of having to answer it themselves.


	5. Meet the Tough Nuts

Alister and Kaden were still lying on the arena floor of the combat room well after Lacera had left several minutes ago. Neither one of them had moved a muscle because every muscle they had was either on fire with pain or frozen from the numbing effect of the combat Nanotech in their systems.

Alister groaned painfully, "Ehhhh, Kaden?" he asked from where he lay on the floor next to a dent in the wall. "Are you conscious?"

"Yeah, I am," Kaden replied hoarsely from a few feet away.

"Why didn't you tell me we were about to fight Lacera Suraisu, The Mad Queen of the Depot?" Alister asked with hints of scorn in his tone.

"I didn't know," Kaden answered honestly.

"Then, why didn't you tell me we were here to try out for the Tough Nuts?" Alister questioned next.

"I didn't know they were the Tough Nuts," Kaden answered again.

"You know, I had other plans tonight," bemoaned Alister. "My squad from Team Tactics got ranked first in our class this semester. We were going to celebrate."

"I'm... sorry," Kaden apologized as sincerely as he could. "I only just found out about the offer today and registration closes tonight."

But Alister didn’t seem to have heard Kaden, he just continued on, "There was going to be music and food and some students from the Art Field were going to join us," he continued gloomily.

"We made it on the team, didn't we?" countered Kaden. "At least there's that."

"I was going to meet a pretty girl and we were going to talk and dance and trade NID links," continued Alister, lost in a world of half fantasy and half concussion-induced delusion.

Kaden sighed deeply, which he immediately found to be a painful activity, "Hey, we get another shot at Kor and that's what matters, right?" asserted Kaden firmly. "You need to get your priorities straightened out."

Alister grumbled angrily, "Kaden, thanks to you, I now have to get my spine straightened out," he retorted coldly. "You know, not everyone in this academy is as obsessive as you are. Most of us actually want to have a life besides experiments and explosions and getting our tails handed to us." Alister breathed in painfully, "I just wanted to dance with a pretty girl."

Kaden coughed out a short laugh, "Well, you did get to dance with a girl," he offered humorously. "It just happened to involve lots of wrench swinging and few explosions."

Alister shook his head, and regretted it immediately as the pain in his skull surged, "You can't date a girl from the Military Field, everyone knows that."

Now, Kaden was starting to worry about the severity of Alister's apparent concussion, "Not that I think there's much chance of that happening, but why is that a rule?" he asked as he looked up at the bloody imprint of lips on his shattered visor. "I got the feeling that Lacera kind of liked us."

"Exactly!" burst Alister, before coughing violently. He waited for the hacking to subside before he continued, "Now imagine what would happen if she was ‘mad’ at us and ‘really’ wanted to make us suffer.”

Kaden was surprised at the clarity of Alister's words, "I see your point."

* * *

Varin, Wraith, and Torque all stood up and applauded as Lacera walked into the observation box of the arena, a very pleased smile shone from her face.

Varin raised a cup of liquid into the air, "To the fearless leader of the Tough Nuts," she toasted proudly, "for once again reminding us that it is ‘she’ who puts both the 'tough', but especially the 'nuts' in Tough Nuts."

"An exquisite performance as always," agreed Torque, with a bow of respect.

"Here, here," added Wraith as he lifted his own glass.

Lacera feigned a gesture of embarrassment, "Oh stop. You guys are making me blush," she said sweetly before dropping the act and straightening back up. "Varin?" she added with a serious tone.

Varin nodded and reached over to a robot that looked like a walking coffeemaker. From it, she pulled a glowing green vial from a side compartment, "One perfectly calibrated nano-cocktail with no side effects," she said before tossing the vial to Lacera. "Your NID says you bit your tongue and ruptured an eardrum."

Lacera caught the container mid-air and popped off its seal before swigging down its contents in one shot. 

Immediately she could feel some of the Nano-tech in the liquid cling onto the large gash in her tongue and begin to close it while the rest worked its way into her bloodstream. The nanoscopic machines then quickly found their way to her right ear and after a few seconds of tickling, she could hear sound from it again. 

Lacera was always impressed with Varin's ability to control Nanotech. The standard blue combat Nanotech was only good for ensuring a combatant doesn't die, which was a definition that was very open to interpretation. She knew from experience that Nanotech left many of her senses dull after extended combat missions. Having all the comforts of a med center at the toss of a vial was a luxury that she couldn't remember how she ever lived without.

Lacera nodded her thanks and peered out of the observation window at the still-unmoving forms of Kaden and Alister, "Those two will probably need a little Nanotech themselves," she noted.

Varin laughed, "I don't have their NID codes so I won't be able to get too precise with the repair, but I'm making them a generic mix anyway. From what I can see, those two are so damaged that it'll take a while to mix all of theirs," she explained with a glance to her Nanotech mixer-bot. "I'll need to make a vial each, just for what you did to them ‘after’ they officially won the match," she added with just a touch of mock disapproval.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad," countered Lacera indignantly.

Wraith stifled a laugh, "Please, if you had planted those two any deeper into the arena floor we'd need to water them and wait for them sprout before the next Depot match."

"On that topic," interjected Torque with his gaze turned on Kaden and Alister, "how would you rate the talent of our prospective troupe members?"

"Well… they won," Lacera began, revealing only the smallest hint of disdain for this fact. "Alister is exactly like his records show, very naturally skilled, but undisciplined and reckless."

"And Kaden?" asked Varin curiously.

Lacera studied Kaden's motionless form carefully with tight lips, "I like his eyes." she replied cryptically.

"Care to explain?" asked Wraith.

Lacera considered her words for a moment, "When I fight," she began thoughtfully, "I let my instincts drive my movements. I attack when I see an opening, I pull back when I suspect a faint... When Kaden fights, each move is calculated. Each attack or block is another stepping stone to achieving victory. And... the more time he has to calculate, the more dangerous he becomes. We have a name for people like him in the Military Field.”

“Oh?” asked Varin curiously. “What’s that?”

“Priority Targets,” explained Wraith.

Lacera nodded her agreement, “Kaden’s like a spider, carefully weaving a web around his prey until, before they know what’s happening, they can’t move. About halfway through the fight, I realized that he was opening up his defense and picking where I'd hit him next. In hindsight, it's a good plan since he couldn't possibly avoid being hit entirely, but what kind of person so coldly calculates the sacrificing of their own body parts, like they’re no more than tools to be thrown away?" 

The question was rhetorical, but Lacera paused to let everyone consider it, "It's his eyes though... they’re the coldest things I've ever seen. They're constantly studying everything, but are impossible to read themselves. Too busy to react to pain or show much surprise, looking into them was like looking into a black hole. Their depth seemed endless and they feel like they're sucking you in and surrounding you, like they can see something that you can't." Lacera put her hand up on the glass and breathed out slowly, "I've fought robots with more emotion in their eyes. Those eyes send chills down my spine," she finished quietly.

The room was left silent for a moment after Lacera had finished speaking. They had all seen firsthand how terrifying their leader could be, but this was the first time they'd ever seen a hint of her fearing anything else.

"You can't be serious?" said Varin at last in disbelief. "He acts like a fool half the time."

Lacera shook her head lightly, "Now Varin, you don't actually believe that, do you?" she asked with a tone of disappointment. "I'm surprised ‘you’ of all people can't see it. When Kaden and I were at a standoff, I thought I could see the gears in his head turning. I thought I saw him realize that I would let him win and that I'd shoot him anyway, but... I never saw him rig his blaster to overcharge. So then, when did he do it? Definitely not after I’d engaged with him. Deciding not to pull that trigger had seemed like his last resort, but he had foreseen the possible standoff and made sure that he won either way. That is not something some ordinary fool could pull off."

"Then his audition was to your liking?" asked Torque, looking for a definitive answer.

Lacera glanced at Torque's questioning expression before returning her gaze back out the window, "Yes, Torque, I find him very much to my liking," she said with an undertone of both satisfaction and anticipation. "I’d hate to lose Varin on the field, but Kaden's going to be our Tech. for the Tough Nuts next match."

Torque seemed happy with the answer and Wraith accepted it with a nod, but Varin wore an expression of wariness, "Just how much 'to your liking' are we talking about?" she asked suspiciously.

Lacera's lips turned into a slight, mischievous grin, "I mean that I think he'll be an excellent asset to the team. What else could I mean?" she asked coyly.

Varin rolled her eyes, "He's already taken you know," she warned.

Lacera turned from the window to raise a surprised eyebrow at Varin, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize-"

"No," Varin asserted stiffly and without hesitation.

Lacera shrugged and turned back to Kaden's still motionless form, though now it seemed like he was talking with Alister from where he lay, "Don't worry about it, either way," she said reassuringly. "The brainy ones aren't my type, always too much thinking and not enough feeling." Then she shifted her gaze slightly and her mischievous grin returned, "But give me a handsome, headstrong Lombax with a big trust fund and you've got yourself a deal."

* * *

Alister felt his blood run cold as an inexplicable sense of dread suddenly gripped his senses. He looked around the arena slowly, but he could not find a source for the terrible premonition of danger. The feeling was strange, but the most unusual part about it was that he'd felt this sensation before.

One time, when Alister was very young, he and his parents had gone to the grand opening of the Valmechan Zoo's newest exhibit. Apparently, the daughter of one of his father's business associates was going to perform at the opening ceremony.

On that day, however, something awful had happened. Somehow a wild Grunthor had gotten loose from its pen and went rampaging through the park. Most of the high profile guests were able to evacuate quickly, but Alister had wandered off on his own to see all the animals on display. It was then that he came face to face with the three-story tall, fire breathing monster with acid salivating from its fanged jaws. 

Alister had never forgotten that horrible feeling of ice in his veins from when he looked into the behemoth's eyes. He would never forget that dreadful moment of being eyed hungrily, like a piece of meat.

This time though, Alister concluded that the feeling must have been a result of the damage he'd sustained in the fight. At least, that's what he’d hoped.

* * *

Late the next day, Alister and Kaden were on their way to a location in the Military Field that neither of them had ever been to before. 

The two of them had spent the previous night and most of the morning in the med. center and were now almost fully recovered from their initiation ordeal. Varin had come to visit them during this time in order to give them instructions on when and where to visit the Tough Nuts' club room for orientation. 

With this in mind, Kaden and Alister arrived at the designated Field address and found themselves standing outside of a large, sliding door that read 'Tough Nuts' across it. 

Alister gave a slightly concerned look to Kaden who mirrored it, but quickly pushed it from his features and swiped his hand across the access panel.

There was a short tone that played, followed by a flashing green light on the panel before the door slid open. 

Kaden walked through first, followed by Alister, into a large open space with a vaulted ceiling and wide, half-circular couch at its center. Sitting on opposite ends of the couch were Varin and Lacera, who were both staring at a wide-screen, holo-vision display. On it appeared to be an action holo-film.

Beyond this central living area was a two-tiered floor with a set of stairs leading to each of them. 

The bottom tier, which was sunken under the couch room's floor slightly, appeared to be a bunk room. Several sleep-pod lockers were visible from where Kaden and Alister stood and one of them was already deployed. There was a black-furred Lombax lying in it whilst reading a holo-book. 

The top tier floor appeared to be a kind of kitchen with a table at its center. Sitting at the table was a massive, white-furred Lombax who was eating something while humming a tune softly to himself.

Hearing the door open, Lacera looked over from the holo-screen and spotted Kaden and Alister enter, "Well, look who it is," she said cheerfully before switching off the monitor and turning to the back of the room. "Come meet the new meat!" she ordered.

The black-furred Lombax looked up from his holo-book and sighed softly before tapping it off and getting out of bed. At a wave of his hand, the bed retracted into the wall and a desk slid forward to replace it. He then laid the book on the desk and headed toward the stairs. 

The large Lombax looked up from his food to see what Lacera was talking about. Seeing who had arrived, he then turned back to his plate and shoveled what remained of his meal down his throat before wiping sauce from his fur and also heading to the stairs.

Lacera beckoned Kaden and Alister forward as the other two Lombaxes took seats on Lacera's side of the couch. Kaden then took a seat next to Varin and Alister sat next to him.

Varin cleared her throat, "Kaden, Alister," she began formally, "welcome to the Tough Nuts' staging area. This is Lacera, whom you've both met," Lacera nodded and smiled at Kaden and Alister warmly. Neither of them felt any warmth though. "This is Isaac," Varin continued with a gesture to the black-furred Lombax, "and this is Attor," she finished with a gesture to the large white-furred Lombax.

Lacera leaned forward to address them next, "I am the leader of the Tough Nuts. As such you can call me boss," she said before leaning back into her seat.

The Lombax named Isaac leaned forward next, "You can call me Wraith, because if you see me on the battlefield, it will be the last thing you see," he said seriously with no signs of exaggeration or bravado. "I'm the team's overwatch specialist, so I'm the 'sniper'."

The large Lombax spoke next, "My stage name is Torque," he explained with the air of someone telling an epic tale. "I walk the battlegrounds with the mightiest of instruments and my approach is heralded with the sound of grand percussion. I look forward to making splendid music with you both."

There was a brief pause as the rest of the team allowed Kaden and Alister to absorb Torque's words before Varin explained, "He means: his nickname is Torque and he's our heavy weapons specialist. Also, he's glad you joined the team."

"Ah," said Kaden with comprehension. Alister still looked confused.

"Now to the matter of your tenure with the Tough Nuts," said Lacera, taking over the conversation again, "Varin hasn't told you yet, but at this point in time, we only have a temporary spot available. One of our members was injured in a pre-season match and will be unable to compete, at least not before the next scheduled match."

"That's fine," replied Kaden. "We're really only interested in getting the chance to fight Kor Vol'terran again. We owe him. Varin told me that your team's first match will be against ‘his’ Depot team."

Lacera nodded, "Yes, that’s true," she confirmed. "So, you two are interested in joining because you want to challenge the Red Reaper of Nova?" Alister and Kaden both nodded. Lacera seemed pleased, "Well, it's always good to see the new generation having a healthy desire for vengeance, but I have to warn you, you're not the only ones after Kor's tail. He's also beaten ‘many’ of the other students who have tried taking him on and many were from higher levels."

"We can handle it," said Alister, his ego beginning to surface.

Lacera nodded approvingly before continuing, "It's both fortunate and unfortunate for you then, that the Tough Nuts' primary goal of this season's Capture the Depot games is taking down both Kor and the Gold Bolts, which is the name of the team that hired him."

"The Gold Bolts 'hired' him?" interrupted Kaden in surprise.

Varin spoke next, "I've told you about the rich kids at Nova, the ones that get by with bolts?" she asked with contempt in her voice. "A common tactic they use, to raise their own levels, is to participate in Military Field competitions that require teams. They then hire skilled students to piggy-back them to victory and thus a higher Field rating. The Gold Bolts are one of the worst offenders of this. I mean, just look at their name."

Kaden understood what Varin meant, ‘gold bolts’ were a kind of legend for treasure hunters and adventurers. 

Many galactic governments required a tariff that’s charged on direct transportation of bolts across their astral borders. Bolts themselves are made of a specific ratio of metals, but the metal with the highest percentage per unit was gold. Because of this, most authorities use gold as a standard for the taxes charged on the transported material. And because of that, most smugglers sent ships through normal customs with the other material components of bolts shaped as ordinary items, while sneaking shipments of pure gold across blockades to be re-smelted back into bolts later. 

Smugglers even have a custom of molding the gold into giant bolt shapes. This has led to numerous stories of explorers finding smuggler stashes of gold bolts on numerous planets across the galaxy. The practice has become so widely used in the underground that gold bolts themselves have become currency for certain black market transactions.

"Kor was a perfect choice for them," explained Lacera. "He's highly skilled, but his level is low. He was likely desperate to join a team, but most teams are very picky with their new recruits. They probably have him working for a fraction of what they usually pay their mercs."

Kaden nodded his understanding, "So then, why do you have a grudge against him?" he asked.

The expressions on all the Tough Nuts seemed to sour in unison, "Because he's the one who injured our fifth team member," answered Lacera bitterly. "My little sister, Viscera."

Alister recognized the name, "She's the one who got third in the MSET," he said as he realized where he’d heard it before.

Lacera nodded, "Yes, she managed to make it to level two over the break period and then begged me to let her join. We needed a new member anyway so I agreed. The purpose of the preseason Capture the Depot matches are mainly to test out new recruits in the depot, we just happened to be facing the Gold Bolts for ours. Viscera got over-enthusiastic about proving herself and then... she met Kor. She's been in the med. center ever since." 

Both Kaden and Alister winced at the thought of what had transpired. Alister reflexively touched the spot on his chest that Kor had punched. 

Lacera noted their reactions before continuing, "If you still want to join us, you're welcome to, but ‘we’ get first shot at Kor Vol'terran. If he lives that long, you can take your swings, is that acceptable?"

Kaden thought for a while and turned to Alister, "What do you think?" he asked.

Alister didn't need time to think about it, "Either way, he's beat right?" he answered. "Even if we don't get to make the finishing blow, we will have still helped by being on the team. Not to mention getting the Field credits."

Kaden slowly nodded, "Alright," he said decidedly as he turned back to Lacera, "it's a deal."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Lacera. "Now let's go over the basics of Capture the Depot." She then reached toward the coffee table in between them and typed something onto a panel embedded in it.

A moment later holographic light flooded out of its surface. The dots of light began linking together until they grew into a layout of a tall building which was surrounded by a large, empty field, which was then surrounded by a forest of trees.

"This... is The Depot," Lacera said affectionately. "The primary objective is to be the first team to capture two out of the three nodes within the depot building itself. When we fight the Gold Bolts tomorrow, it will be a team versus team match. Each team will begin just outside the defensive circle," Lacera tapped something on the panel and a large circle appeared on the hologram with the building at its center. The edge of the circle ran the length of the tree line. "So long as you're not in this circle, the automated depot defenses won't attack you," she explained before typing in something else.

After she finished typing, the large holo-monitor on the wall reactivated and on it appeared several images of attack androids. These droids had swords or guns of various kinds where their forearms should’ve been. Near the bottom of the screen were several icons for what looked like turrets and bug-themed light tanks.

"The first task we'll have to accomplish," Lacera continued, indicating the empty field between the treeline and the building, "is to make it past the ‘dead man's land’ and get into the depot. Once in the depot itself, we simply fight our way through more defenses or, if we run into them, the other team and try to capture two of the nodes before our enemies do." 

With a few more clicks, the hologram zoomed in on the holographic building and its walls became transparent, revealing three glowing pads within the multi-floored building. Each pad was on a higher floor than the last.

Lacera highlighted one of the nodes, "In order to capture a pad, a team member has to stand on it and activate the control screen. From there, an image of a circle with colored sections will appear and a marker will highlight a section at the beginning. After the screen is initiated, the marker will move around the circle. You are then required to slam the control button when the colored sections are highlighted. The process itself is simple enough, but trust me, when there's weapons fire aimed at you, this becomes a serious challenge. If you can line up all the marks, you win control of the node."

Lacera finished her quick tutorial and left Kaden and Alister to study the hologram layout for a few moments.

"Can I move this?" asked Kaden with a gesture to the hologram display and holo-screen.

"Of course," consented Lacera. 

Kaden nodded his thanks and removed his digi-pad from where it was mounted on his suit’s forearm. 

Lacera noticed what he was doing, "It's encrypted," she warned him. "The access code is One-Delta-six-seven…" She trailed off from giving Kaden the rest of the code because the pictures on the holo-screen had started moving rapidly and the hologram began changing size and texture.

Lacera scratched her head and was about to say something to Kaden, but it was clear that he had already become absorbed in studying the new information. His eyes darted rapidly over his digi-pad and over to the hologram and holo-screen. 

Varin smiled smugly at her teammates and Lacera shook her head before turning to Alister, "So, Alister," she began curiously. "What is ‘your’ personal reason for getting revenge on the Red Reaper?"

Alister looked up at her with a brief sign of anxiety, possibly due to their last interaction, but he gulped it back a moment later and then spoke unreserved, "To be honest, Kaden's the one with the deep grudge to settle, not me," he admitted. "Though, I did manage to get away in the MSET and keep most of my souls, whereas Kaden didn't."

"I see," replied Lacera with a nod. "So you're saying that Kaden just wants revenge because Kor defeated him?"

"Yeah, pretty much," confirmed Alister. "Though I wouldn't mind a little payback either," he added.

Lacera thought deeply for a moment. Something was bothering her about Alister's answer. Kaden's actions seemed a little extreme for someone who'd simply lost a single fight. It was even stranger that someone so calculating, and not even a full member of the Military Field, would even be upset over something like that. 

There was also the fact that Kaden seemed to hold absolutely no ill will towards herself for the thrashing she'd given him just the other day. Sure, technically he had won that match, but that kind of cool-headed thinking was inconsistent with Kaden's current behavior. The idea bothered Lacera, but there were more pressing things to inquire about at the moment.

"How much would you say the Azimuth family is worth?" she asked next.

The question caught Alister off guard, "Uhhh, what? I-I don't know, exactly," he answered awkwardly. "We own the largest Lombax mining operation outside of Fastoon. I couldn't even guess really, I was never very good with the business side of Azimuth Mining, that's why I joined the Military Field. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," she said dismissively.

Alister was still confused by the sudden interest. He glanced over at the rest of the Tough Nuts and was even more confused to see passing hints of what appeared to be pity in their expressions… pity directed toward him.

"I fear the tone of your future may soon be thrown off key," said Torque sadly.

Alister was now even more confused, "What?" he asked in complete bafflement.

Wraith smiled thinly, "You know, we call him Torque because he has a few bolts loose," he said humorously.

Varin shook her head, "Don't be mean to Torque just because you can't understand him," she chided. Varin then directed her attention to Alister, "Torque here is actually a member of the Art Field. He's in the music division, so that's why everything he says is a musical analogy."

Alister boggled at the fact that Torque was in the music division and at how Varin’s words weren’t even remotely close to a decent explanation for his odd form of speaking.

But Alister decided to toss out the thought instead, "So Torque," he began to ask, "if you're interested in studying music from the Art Field then why are you fighting in the Military Field?"

Torque seemed happy to hear the question, "In my long search for truly alluring melodies, I stumbled across the most enchanting and soul touching of notes from a most unlikely source. The rhythms of the battlefield are capable of becoming an orchestra of exquisite beauty... if one simply has the ears to listen," he answered.

Alister silently rebuked himself for not knowing better than to have asked, as he had absolutely no idea what Torque was talking about.

"What's your mother like?" asked Lacera from out of nowhere.

"What?" blurted back Alister, in a dumbfounded response.

Lacera was about to ask the question again, but suddenly Kaden looked up from his digi-pad with an expression of clarity on his face. Everyone naturally turned their attention to him and waited curiously for him to speak.

"I have an idea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nodes - The Nodes in the Capture the Depot game are the same ones from Full Frontal Assault.


	6. And Here, We... Go

Sitting in their briefing room, the acting members of The Tough Nuts and Varin had just finished listening to the details of Kaden's plan.

"I don't like it," said Wraith simply.

"Yeah, but you don't like anything," countered Varin with her usual smirk. "I say we do it. If nothing else I just want to see if he can pull it off."

Both she and Wraith then turned to Torque who rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "This production has a truly complicated score. I fear the performer may not have the talent necessary. However, if his skills are genuine then the symphony would be of a most exquisite beauty... I wish to attend this show."

"As leader, I believe that's a yes," declared Lacera. She then glanced at Varin who nodded to confirm her interpretation of Torque's words. Lacera smiled and then turned to Kaden, "Well, Kaden, that makes the vote one to zero, since my vote is the only one that matters. Luckily for you, I'd also like to see what you're capable of. You're on."

"Yes!" Kaden exclaimed happily with a small fist pump to emphasize. When he looked up again though, Lacera was glaring at him, "Oh, uh… thank you, boss," he added quickly. 

Lacera nodded her approval.

* * *

"We're live in five," said the set manager of the Solar Flare newsroom, with a small chuckle at his own rhyme.

Dana Tayori rolled her eyes from where she sat at the anchor's desk, "Chuck, I'll admit that it was mildly funny the first time you said it, but it's been over a month now."

Chuck's face soured, "Five minutes then," he said bitterly and walked off.

Dana watched him leave, "Sheesh, what's got Chuck’s tail in a twist?" she said to her co-anchor.

Todd Berita was triple checking the list of news topics for the show's next segment in the seat next to her, "If I had to guess," he began dryly, "I'd have to say that it's probably because ‘Chuck’s’ name is actually ‘Steven’."

"What?!" Dana questioned in surprise. "I've been calling him Chuck ever since he got promoted to stage manager."

"No," replied Todd without looking up from his digi-pad, "this is the first time you've called him by that name to his face. Before now, you only mentioned it when you talked ‘about’ him and the ‘first’ time you did so, you couldn't remember his actual name, so you decided to call him Chuck because he ‘chuckles’ at his own jokes."

Dana put her hands over her face and flattened her ears with embarrassment as she remembered. She felt bad about what she'd done, but knew she had to apologize. 

She looked up at the stage manager, who was speaking to a cameraman, "I'm sorry Steven," she called out in apology. Steven turned and just glared coldly back at her while shaking his head slowly.

"Hey Al," yelled Todd to the same person Dana had just called Steven, "my NID's audio connection seems a little glitchy. Can you take a look at it?"

"You got it, Todd," Al replied eagerly, before taking one last disdainful glance at Dana and walking off to find the audio tech.

Dana was almost shaking with anger from once again being made a fool of by her co-anchor, "I can't believe you," she hissed under her breath. "Do you think just because you're two levels above me that..."

"Dana!" shouted Al agitatedly. "We are trying to fix an audio issue with less than three minutes to show time. Could you try ‘not’ making any noise for just a minute?" Dana pressed her lips together tightly and fought hard not to explode. "Thank you," continued Al sarcastically. "Now Todd, what's the problem sound like on your end?"

"It's this loud sort-of grating noise that pops up all of a sudden," described Todd. "It's right in my ear and extremely irritating."

Al exchanged a few words with the audio tech, "Alright, we're going to deactivate your connection and see if the problem's on our end."

Todd nodded to show that he understood. A moment later there was a click in his ear and a light blinked in his peripherals to let him know that his NID had disconnected with the Solar Flare's wireless audio transmitter. He breathed out a sigh of relief and picked up his digi-pad to resume his preparations. Dana waited for him to acknowledge her again, but Todd simply ignored her.

Finally, she'd had enough, "You know, ever since I became your co-anchor you've been nothing but a-"

"Ah!" exclaimed Todd, "There it is again, that annoying, screeching noise. I'm sorry, Al," he yelled to the stage manager with a wave. "It looks like the problem was on my end."

Al waved in confirmation, "Can you handle the problem until the next break?" he asked.

"I'm sure I can," answered Todd with a wry smile. "It's just a minor annoyance."

Dana was so angry that she couldn't even form coherent words. She just mumbled half started insults under her breath. Eventually, she managed to squeeze out a threat, "I swear Todd, this is the last straw. I’m going to-"

Todd interrupted his co-anchor with a long sigh and turned to face her, "You know Dana, there are two important things you need to learn about being a news anchor. One is that you need to be able to put on a smile and deliver the news properly no matter how sick, confused, or angry you may feel."

There was a short pause before Dana replied, "And what's the second one?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Todd turned back to face the cameras and adjusted his posture, "You need to learn better timing."

"On in 10...9...8..." shouted Al, counting down the time until the return of the news show. Dana glared at Todd fiercely as if the sheer intensity of her gaze alone could cause him harm. "6...5...4..." continued the stage manager. 

Finally, Dana spun back to face the camera and straightened her posture, before putting on a smiling expression that looked like it had been carved out of granite with a rusty pickaxe. Al held up two fingers, then one, and waved forward to indicate that they'd gone live.

"Welcome back to the Solar Flare, I'm Todd Berita..." began Todd formally.

"And I'm Dana Tayori, bringing you the latest Nova Academy news," continued Dana with an equally formal, though forced, tone.

Todd turned as the camera zoomed in on him, "Tonight is the first round of Nova Academy's famed ‘Capture the Depot’ games and all eyes are on one match in particular."

Dana nodded her head and turned to her own camera, "That's right Todd, there is no doubt that the match to watch tonight is the one between defending champions, the Tough Nuts, and the up-and-coming new team, the Gold Bolts."

Todd leaned back so that he was flush with two holographic images of said teams’ logos, "A fateful encounter with one another in the preseason bouts resulted in the Tough Nuts losing their newest member, Viscera Suraisu, in a confrontation with the Gold Bolts' own newest member, Kor Vol'terran. Now, with a new team lineup, the Tough Nuts will get their chance at redemption in the very first round.

"Yes, you can't write coincidences like this Todd,” agreed Dana. “With their youngest member still out of commission, I'd say that the Tough Nuts are looking for revenge more than redemption as it seems they've not only replaced Viscera Suraisu with a slightly higher rated student, Alister Azimuth, but have also swapped out their Med. Tech. for a Mech. Tech. This kind of move shows great possibility for more aggressive maneuvers in their next match."

"On the Gold Bolts' side,” continued Todd, “there is no change from the preseason lineup and who would expect one? Kor Vol'Terran, also known as the Red Reaper of Nova, has dominated every event he's been in so far and has left a mess of his opponents so graphic that Nova Academy has stopped the distribution of those particular scenes in all forms."

Dana slid over and leaned back so that she’d be lined up with a head-shot of Kor’s helmet, "This new censorship of the already elusive and mysterious new Nova student has led to even more rumors and speculation spreading around the school. The color of Mr. Vol'terran's red armor, as well as supposed eyewitness testimony from level one Fuzzies that his fur is also red, have led to him being nicknamed the 'Red Reaper' after his impressive skills were seen by all in last semester's MSET."

Todd shook his head at the report in a scripted, doubtful way, "However, aside from those few level one students, no one at the academy is known to have seen Kor when he wasn't completely encased in armor. What's your take on this Dana? I know that if I was in a new place and getting this kind of attention, I wouldn't go anywhere without my armor on either."

Dana cracked a smile in response, emphasis on ‘cracked’, "Well, Todd, honestly I'd love to see what Kor looks like under his mask, but I'm too busy fantasizing about you wearing a helmet over your own face to properly answer."

Todd didn't miss a step as he continued reading the teleprompter, "Well, trustworthy sources have confirmed that his authorization to wear full combat gear at all times was granted for medical reasons, but this has led to many new rumors spreading that Kor is ‘not’ in fact a Red Lombax at all. Many members of the Solar Flare news staff, myself included, have reported on several proclaimed 'Red Lombax' sightings around Nova's vast grounds, most of which have ended with red-dyed students wearing sharpened pairs of dentures being escorted to detention where many were then shaved and had their fake chompers super glued to their gums as a punishment."

Dana leaned back again to line up with another image, a close up of an armored hand with a grainy image of a red-helmeted face in the corner, "The Solar Flare's own field news teams have tried to get to the bottom of this mystery, but all attempts to get a comment on the subject from the enigmatic Lombax himself have failed."

Todd made a solemn expression, "We at the Solar Flare would like to wish our reporter John, and the rest of his film crew, a speedy recovery."

"Regardless of fur color though,” Dana continued, “Kor Vol'terran has shown a skill in military combat not seen since the Military Field's own Commander Fortis came to the academy almost a decade ago. Many analysts believe that Kor may reach level four before he even finishes his first year at Nova."

"The Capture the Depot games will begin in just a moment,” continued Todd, “so stay tuned for live commentary on the action as it unfolds, right here, on the Solar Flare."

* * *

Five heavily-armored Lombaxes appeared in a flash of blue light at the edge of a very large clearing in a vast wooded area. 

The clearing was sloped up to its center where a tall, industrial building stood. Leading into it were several large ramp entrances and some smaller ones as well. 

In-between the newly arrived group of Lombaxes and the tall building was a no man’s land of bunkers, razor-wire, hidden landmines, and hundreds of military androids.

Lacera took a step forward and inhaled deeply before releasing the air back out, "Ahhhhh, it's good to be back," she said whilst cheerfully studying the warzone before her.

There was an open path through the razor-wire that lay straight ahead of them. It went straight to the closest entrance ramp of the Depot, but it was blocked by three separate bunkers, each one designed to cover the next with its field of fire. 

The third, and furthest one, however, was twice the size of the first two. It looked more like a small fort than a simple bunker. 

Many Depot teams that came up against these obstacles lacked the firepower or fortitude to assault these structures head on, which forced them to take a more time-consuming route through the wire and mines.

Kaden had brought an advanced minesweeper with him that he'd designed himself along with a set of high-spectrum laser-blades to cut the razor-wire without arousing suspicion. 

The tan Lombax studied the heavy bunkers and the army of robots that occupied and surrounded them carefully through his visor. He had many visual upgrades to his NID, but nothing beat the clarity of a visor's HUD. It mapped out every target and weapon within visible range and even counted them… there were a lot.

Kaden nodded when he’d finished studying the defenses, "Good luck with that," he said as he began to make initial in-field preparations with his equipment.

"Try to finish before we reach the last node, ok?" said Lacera with only half her attention turned to him. 

Alister walked forward to help Kaden with his equipment, "You sure you got this?" he asked, knowing the answer already.

Kaden smiled back at him, "Just focus on staying alive. I'll do my part," he said as he hefted the equipment back over his shoulder and began walking off along the clearing's perimeter.

The rest of the group watched him circle around the no man’s land for about a minute or so, when the echo of explosions from the other side of the building reached their ears. It was clear that the other team had chosen to try a direct assault on the bunkers.

Kaden made it to a point that he liked and, with his minesweeper out, started heading into the danger zone. He twisted left and right as he avoided the buried explosives. 

The tan Lombax then cut through the first layer of razor-wire and was about to climb a mound of dirt when two robot guards appeared at the top of it on routine patrol.

One robot had machine guns instead of arms and the other had two large swords instead of hands. They scanned the area as they marched in unison over the mound. 

Kaden waited until they had passed before scrambling up behind them. But, just as he made it to the top, the guards began to turn around. 

Mere seconds before Kaden was in their line of sight, he activated a device on his chest that transformed him into an identical replica of the sword-wielding guard with a flash of holographic light.

The two robots examined their new companion and tried to process how he'd gotten there from seemingly nowhere. The new robot guard, which was actually Kaden, then waved a greeting toward the first two. The two robots reciprocated the wave, which switched the focus of their processors from 'search and destroy' to 'socialize' long enough for them to forget the question of verifying the identity of the newcomer. When they finished waving, they turned back around and continued their patrol.

Wraith put down his Plasma Striker, "I guess he doesn't need saving yet," he said with a small hint of disappointment.

"He won't," Alister assured him.

"Well then, it's time for us to get moving," said Lacera. "Torque, would you be a dear and play me my favorite song?" she asked sweetly.

Torque laughed heartily, "The quality of the opening number sets the tone for the rest of the performance. I shall endeavor to play notes worthy of your ears, boss," he declared dutifully.

Torque then walked forward, over the cusp of the danger zone. The large Lombax was wearing an almost legendary class of armor, 'super-heavy’ combat armor. 

Lombaxes usually selected their gear with agility in mind. They used their natural swiftness to jump around the battlefield in order to dodge and avoid the vast majority of damages. 

However, every once in a while there comes along a Lombax who has completely forsaken any thought of avoiding incoming fire. For these special few, the super-heavy class was designed. 

Super-heavy armor is defined as being at least three times tougher than standard heavy Lombax armor, which was still designed with mobility in mind, and it usually weighed five times as much as well. It was reinforced with so many different alloys that even an extremely skilled and attractive fiction writer wouldn't be able to entertainingly describe them all in a story.

Torque’s armor also boasted colossal storage bays mounted on his back for carrying extra power cells and ammunition.

Once Torque stepped a foot past the danger-zone line, the first bunker's defenses began firing at him. They were still some distance away, so many shots missed, but the few that did strike their target either fizzled out or pinged harmlessly off his thick armored plates. 

Using this as his cue, Torque lifted the muzzle end of his weapon towards the first bunker. 

The weapon in his hands was a hulking block of mechanical metal that was over half the size of his own, considerably large, body. Torque had dubbed his specially crafted, heavy weapon platform 'The Dirge'. 

A dozen barrels protruded from the front of The Dirge while three belts of different ammunition, plus one power conduit, snaked under his arm and fed from his armored backpack to several intake ports spaced around its frame. Lines of rockets hung off the weapon’s sides and underneath was a single, massive, nuclear-warhead-tipped missile.

Torque braced himself and squeezed several of the many triggers on his gun. Instantly, a stream of sharp, metallic cracks filled the air so densely that they sounded like a single buzz as hundreds of armor piercing, high explosive, and anti-personnel machine gun rounds blazed out from three of The Dirge's barrels in a wash of fire.

The targeted bunker was blasted with a hail of hot metal an instant later. Chunks of metal were ripped away like paper by the armor-piercers, leaving the metal and concrete fortification looking like Swiss cheese in moments. 

The high explosive shells found the openings made by the anti-armor rounds and detonated inside the bunker's walls. They shredded the heavy weapons emplacements and the defenders within, leaving them nowhere to hide while any androids outside the bunker were quickly cut down like wheat by anti-personnel rounds.

Small, aerial attack drones were floating lazily all over the no-man's-land until now. In unison, many turned toward Torque's massive form and sped forward. Dozens began appearing in waves, before hovering within striking distance and spraying Torque with light weapon's fire. 

The Lombax himself, however, was too busy attacking the bunker defenses to bother with the airborne threat. Luckily, his armor was more than enough to protect him.

Just as Alister raised his Combuster to give his ally some support, a twin pair of auto-lasers sprang from the top of Torque's backpack. The tiny turrets didn’t hesitate for a second before unleashing a hail of bright green laser bolts into the flock of drones above, cutting them down like flies. 

Two rockets then spat out of the sides of the backpack as well. They whistled loudly as they arced up and sailed straight for the densest part of the drone flock. 

Just before impact, they exploded, spraying the flying robots with superheated shrapnel like a shotgun. Within seconds the majority of the drones were gone, the rest zoomed around in a futile attempt to avoid being wiped out by the auto-lasers. 

Alister gawked at the sight, Torque was like a walking fortification.

When the first bunker was left nothing more than an annihilated heap of scrap, Torque began marching forward again. The stream of sharp cracks from bullet fire died down to a trickle as he switched to picking off the few survivors with single, accurate bursts. 

Torque was almost to the base of the first bunker's shattered remains when poorly aimed long shots from the middle bunker began kicking up dirt around him. The occasional ping of metal would ring out as a round bounced unnoticed off his armor.

The bipedal tank that was Torque came to a halt and positioned his feet for optimum recoil absorption. He then raised the front end of The Dirge and targeted the bottom left corner of the second bunker. 

With a casual turn of a handle, a low hum began to build, emanating from the massive weapon. The noise began to grow in pitch and the power conduit that ran from The Dirge to Torque’s backpack glowed bright yellow with power. 

As the hum became a piercing screech, small orbs of focused energy began forming around the second largest gun barrel on Torque’s weapon.

"Don't look at it," Wraith warned their newest member as he activated the shading function of his visor.

Alister was still staring in awe at Torque's weapon when Wraith's words finally registered. He looked away just as a blinding flash of light burst from The Dirge's mouth and instantly ripped across the battlefield toward the second bunker. With the echoing hiss of vaporizing metal filling the air, Torque carefully guided the beam along the bunker's front, just above the ground. 

Explosions went off inside the metal structure as the piercing shaft of light sliced through ammo dumps and power generators, eventually turning the whole thing, guards and all, into a steaming pile of slag.

The beam died out and smoke drifted from the smoldering remains. Two guard bots had survived the onslaught. One pulled itself along the ground, as its legs had been melted off and the other stared at what was left of the bunker. 

Unable to process what had just happened, the robot turned to examine the two-legged battle cruiser that was its assailant. As it watched, a glowing, steaming, metal canister ejected from Torque's backpack with a clang, before another, identical one slid in to replace it. This new powercell was brought to an idle charge with a soft hum of energy. 

Wraith raised his Plasma Striker in business-like manner and placed its crosshairs over the other robot on the ground. There was a swift snap and he blasted its head clean off its torso.

The robot guard that was still standing up then chose to deactivate its own systems and fell to the ground in a heap.

"It's time for the finale!" shouted Lacera excitedly with a wicked grin across her face.

Fire spewed angrily from the back of The Dirge. The hiss of rapidly expanding gas quickly grew into a roar as the intensity of flames pouring out of the large missile on the bottom of The Dirge increased. The roar reached its apex and with the clink of releasing rocket clamps and it zoomed off into the distance. 

About a second later, it buried itself into the center of the massive, third bunker. The bunker's armor proved formidable though, as the missile's rocket motor was still visibly protruding from the wall, futilely trying to push its payload deeper. The thick plating had prevented it from penetrating all the way through, but luckily, this was one of those few cases where 'almost' counted just as well.

In a flash that blinded every Nova game camera, every Depot android, and anything else with eyes unfortunate enough to be looking in its general direction, the nuclear warhead detonated. The immense fireball it generated consumed the bunker in a second and vaporized it to nothing in just a few more.

Alister was blown completely off his feet by the shockwave of air and heat that hit him. He couldn't breathe, or see, or even comprehend what was going on. He just gritted his teeth and weathered the nuclear storm until it passed.

Silence came to greet Alister's ears at last as he blinked repeatedly to try and regain his vision. The dazed Lombax stood up a few seconds later with a few bright spots still impeding his sight. 

There was nothing left of the third bunker now, or the area around it, for that matter. 

A tall mushroom cloud now loomed high above a massive crater where the bunker had been previously while Torque still stood, unmoved, in the same position as before. Steam drifted off his armor as it cooled from the heat of the explosion.

Lacera and Wraith moved out from the ditch that they had taken cover in, having 'forgotten' to tell Alister to do the same. They took a moment to study the destruction unleashed by their heavy weapons operator before applauding energetically. Torque turned his massive body around to face them and released one hand from his weapon before resting the heavy device on the ground with the other. He then took a deep bow.

"Bravo!" cheered Lacera through the comm.

Wraith put his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly. Then both he and Lacera turned to look at Alister who stood with his mouth gaping in amazement. After a few seconds of expectant glaring, Alister finally caught on and joined his team in applauding Torque's performance.

"There is no greater reward for an artist than the appreciation of his audience," declared Torque happily over the comm.

* * *

Wraith, Lacera, and Alister reached the entrance to the depot. Torque, who was weighed down with enough armor and weaponry to load out a couple of starfighters, was still making his way forward and was only halfway to the third bunker’s crater. 

Lacera had assured Alister that Torque would be able to catch up soon and the reason why became apparent. 

Just as the white-furred Lombax had crossed the firing line of a pair of orb-shaped defense turrets that were guarding the entrance ramp to the Depot, Lacera grabbed the back of his armored collar and yanked him behind cover as a stream of plasma blasts ripped apart the ground he had just been standing on. 

Alister didn't even have time to thank her though, as she leaped over that same cover a moment later. 

Both turrets immediately brought their barrels to bear on the new target. 

Using the distraction, Wraith swung around the slab of shredded concrete that he’d been hiding behind to line up a shot with his Plasma Striker. With a single snap of plasma discharge, a bolt of ionized gas struck the nearest turret's sensor array, frying its delicate circuitry.

Lacera wasted no time in sprinting straight toward the damaged turret. Her moves easily outpaced the second turret’s traversal rate, while the first one had a clear shot, but without its sensors, the shots were wide and completely off. 

With a familiar bang of jumpboots, Lacera launched herself up toward the first turret, driving her two wrenches deep into its armored shell. She hung from it as the second one brought its cannon around. 

Just before it opened fire, Lacera yanked her weapons free and fell to the ground as a stream of plasma blasts tore apart the first turret.

"You're up, new meat!" shouted Wraith over the comm.

Alister had been too busy watching his new ‘boss’ work that he’d almost forgotten he was involved in the fight too, but he quickly readied himself. 

With the one remaining turret still tracking her, Lacera booked it up the entrance ramp and disappeared into the Depot. 

The turret was now focused in almost the opposite direction of him, so Alister made his move.

With the shriek of jets roaring under his feet, Alister sped towards his target. Just as he reached its base, he pulled out a 'latch' grenade, thumbed the activation switch up, and then pressed it in. Still holding the switch in, he cut his hoverboots and stopped to line up the throw, aiming for the point where the spherical turret touched the wall. 

Alister wound up with practiced ease and pitched the grenade like a baseball, hitting his target dead on. 

The moment he had released the activation button, an adhesive gel had oozed from the grenade's shell and when the explosive device hit its target, it stuck fast. 

A few seconds later it exploded, blasting the turret out of its nook housing and causing it to slam into the ground like a meteor.

Wraith walked up to Alister casually, "Not bad," he said in a mildly impressed tone. "Now we just have to hope that the boss hasn't gotten into any trouble."

They both turned toward the ramp where Lacera had disappeared a minute ago. Alister was sure that he was more worried about anything that found her, rather than Lacera herself.

The two of them were about to go in after her when a massive fireball spewed out of the darkness and struck the ground just in front of the ramp. Wraith and Alister hit the ground as dirt and plasma splashed the area around them.

Then there was another familiar bang that echoed through the air. 

Alister looked up from where he lay on the ground to find Lacera looking down at him, "I see you took care of the turret, nice work Grunt," she noted with what Alister took to be praise. "Now, get up and run!" she shouted before turning around and sprinting back to their first point of cover.

Alister hadn't finished processing Lacera's words when he felt the ground shake underneath him. He rolled over to look at where Lacera had come from and found a large, bug-styled tank stomping its way down the ramp. When it reached the remains of the dislodged turret, it simply trampled it under one of its six metallic legs. 

Then the tank stopped moving and the main cannon on its roof swung around to aim straight at the spot where Wraith and Alister lay. The two Lombaxes looked at each other with reflected panic and simultaneously kicked their hoverboots on to full. 

They zipped away just as another fireball spat from the cannon and bit a chunk out of the ground they'd left behind. They both made it to cover with Lacera and the three Lombaxes huddled together behind a jutting shard of metal to conceal themselves from the attacking behemoth.

"What is that?" asked Alister through heavy breathing.

"It's a Beat-All," Lacera explained offhandedly. "Standard for Depot heavy guard."

"Yeah,” added Wraith with an accusing glare toward his leader, “and they only attack when someone goes sprinting blindly into their territory."

Lacera shrugged as another fireball struck the back of their cover, spraying fire around its edges and turning it a bright, glowing red, "The fastest route to a node is always the most heavily guarded. Once we take this out, it’s smooth sailing."

Wraith shook his head, "This cover won't take another blast and we don't have the firepower to take this thing out."

Lacera just smiled, "We do now."

A deep, echoing thud boomed out across the air, but it didn't come from the Beat-All's location. Alister and Wraith turned to where Lacera was looking to find Torque making his way toward them with his weapon held high and smoke rolling out of its largest barrel.

"I'm currently taking requests," said Torque cheerfully over the comm.

"How about a duet?" replied Lacera with an equally cheerful tone. "Your partner is the giant tank that's trying to kill us."

"A truly marvelous request!" answered Torque gleefully. "One can never be disappointed by the charming melody of the Beat-All's."

Another heavy thud rang out and the three Tough Nuts who were behind cover peeked around it to watch the howitzer shell smash into the side of the Beat-All, almost right through of the smoking crater where the last one had hit. The explosion ripped one of the colossal machine’s legs off in a shower of sparks and molten steel.

Slowly, the main cannon swiveled away from its previous target and aimed for the new threat. Before it could fire, however, another thud boomed out from Torque's Dirge and slammed into the Beat-All's main cannon, blasting it to pieces. 

Lacera nodded her approval, “Torque’s specialty is making big things go boom. He’s made killing Beat-Alls into an artform… which, I guess he really does to everything… hmm. Anyway, this won’t take but a minute.”

Sparks spluttered from the Beat-All's ruined appendages and it stomped about angrily. Torque pressed forward and lined up his killing blow, when suddenly, two small cannons along Beat-All’s sides popped out from behind several armored panels.

"That's new," chorused everyone but Alister over the comm. channel.

With an odd sounding ‘thunk’, two canisters flew out of the cannons' mouths. One struck the ground to Torque's right and exploded in a green mist that Alister recognized immediately. The second canister hit right on target. Exploding over Torque's armored body and coating him with green liquid and gas. A second later the colorful chemical reacted with the air and turned to foam, encasing him in a green tomb.

"Torque, are you alright?!" demanded Lacera over the comm.

"No!" shouted Torque in reply. "It is horrible! The music, I can't hear it. Everything is silent. What kind of cruel creature would devise such a punishment?!"

"Well, Torque's fine at least," Lacera assured her team out loud.

"Not for long," countered Wraith with a gesture.

The Beat-All had just deployed two massive buzz saws blades on mechanical arms from its front-undercarriage. It was now stomping eagerly towards the giant green ball that was Torque, and from the way it held its blades out, it was clear what it intended to do.

Lacera took charge quickly, "Wraith, you and I will try and distract it. Grunt, you see if you can get Torque out of-" she began, but she stopped when she discovered that Alister had already taken off towards the Beat-All on his hoverboots.

Lacera glared unhappily at the newbie’s back, “Fine then… Wraith, with me,” she ordered as she took off toward Torque. The two of them would try to release him from the green confinement. She just hoped that Alister had a plan, or that he could at least keep the Beat-All distracted long enough to excavate their big gun.

The Beat-All saw Alister coming and turned to face him. It fired another set of foam canisters, but Alister easily swerved out of their way. They exploded into green clouds several feet behind him. 

As he got within range of its buzz saws, they came screeching toward him without hesitation. Alister ducked to avoid the swipe of the first one and then turned sideways to avoid the second one. 

The Beat-All reared up for a second attack, but suddenly it stopped and tried to move away from Alister. It’s A.I. had likely figured out what he was after.

Alister had seen it for only for a moment, but he knew what it was. After spending enough time with his mechanically obsessed friend Kaden, he was able to recognize an A.I.’s central control core when he saw one. It was the most vital piece of any robotic system, or so he'd been told. Because of this, many times they were not placed in the same spot, even on mass-produced combat models, since targeting them was a top priority for enemy combatants. 

The Beat-All unit that he now faced apparently had its core build into its upper-left side, right next to the holes that Torque had blasted into it.

The hulking machine tried to escape and turn its vulnerable side away from the white-furred Lombax, but it was too late. 

Alister could almost feel its robotic fear as he lobbed a thermite grenade up into the air and made a perfect basket into the ragged hole on its side. He then spun around, pointing his rockets in the opposite direction, and kicked on his afterburners to speed away as the grenade went off.

The thermite explosive burst into a spray of superheated, burning metal that began eating its way through everything it touched, including the Beat-All's AI core. The hulking bug-tank stomped and thrashed in its death throes, then it froze as commands from its core stopped coming.

As the metallic beast fell to the dirt with a ground-shaking thud, Alister zoomed up to his teammates, skidding to a halt in front of the green heap that was Torque.

"Ha," laughed Lacera. "Very nice Grunt, you might just earn a real nickname by the end of this after all."

Wraith shook the look of surprise from his face, "Yeah, well, we still have to get Torque out of this foam stuff," he said, before hitting the foam ball in question with his wrench. He and Lacera had only managed to remove a small portion of it so far.

Alister activated his comm. link, "Torque, the green foam that you're in is called ‘Koru’ gas. It's made to hold things together with a lot of strength, but it dissolves quickly if exposed to a certain amount of heat," he explained. "Wraith and I can use our boots to..."

A deep orange glow began to grow from the inside of the foam ball and Alister dove out of the way just in time to avoid the torrent of fire that exploded out of it a second later. 

The foam quickly receded away from the heat of the blaze, revealing the tip of Torque's weapon with flames blasting out of one of its barrels. 

When enough of The Dirge was exposed, the partially encased Torque lowered it, causing the flame to spray the ground. It coated the area in flammable liquid that quickly burnt through the remainder of the foam. A few seconds later, Torque yanked himself free of his prison, seemingly uncaring of the flames, burning at over a thousand degrees, that danced along his feet. 

Free at last, Torque shook himself of any remaining chunks of foam and bowed to Alister in thanks.

"How'd you know about that Ko-stuff?" asked Wraith curiously.

Alister smiled and tapped his grenade holster, "I have a few grenades filled with the same thing," he explained. "Kaden can whip up a batch of it from cleaning supplies."

"And what about the Beat-All?" Wraith continued. "How'd you know how to take it down?"

Alister shrugged, "You spend enough time with a robot nut and you're guaranteed to pick up a few things," he answered. "Like what the power couplings of a primary AI core look like."

From out of nowhere, Lacera smacked Alister on the back so hard that he almost lost his balance, "Nice stuff!" she exclaimed jovially. "You know, I was half-joking up to this point, but now I think I'm might just get a little serious about it," she added before walking off toward the depot.

Alister straightened himself up and tried to soothe his now aching back as Torque walked toward him, "No good performance goes unpunished my friend," he said sadly through his helmet’s speakers before turning and following Lacera.

Alister was confused and still trying to figure out what Torque's words could possibly mean as Wraith walked by next, "I feel for you, newbie," he said sympathetically before joining Torque.

Still confused, Alister watched the Tough Nuts walk away. He thought hard about what they'd said and with sudden clarity, he realized what they meant. 

This whole time Alister had just thought Lacera’s cavalier attitude and jokes were simply a result of combat experience and a way of coping with stress. He stared at his leader with disbelieving eyes. He now saw her in an entirely new light, _ 'How could she not have been taking this ‘match’ seriously until now?' _ , he wondered in amazement.

Shaking his head, Alister ran off to follow his team toward the opening of the depot. He was sure it was only going to get crazier from here on in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Wave - Kaden’s hand waving to the robot sentries is a reference to the Hologuise function from the first Ratchet and Clank game, where you could wave to robot guards while disguised to get them to drop shield barriers or throw off their patrol route so they could be killed while not in the sight of other guards.
> 
> The Dirge - A ‘dirge’ is a song or hymn of grief or lamentation; especially one intended to accompany funeral or memorial rites.
> 
> Orb Turrets - The orb turrets I mentioned are the same egg-shaped turrets with gatling gun barrels protruding from their center that are prevalent in the early Ratchet and Clank games, especially Up Your Arsenal.
> 
> Koru Gas - ‘Koru’ is a Japanese word that means to congeal, coagulate, freeze, or harden.


	7. Capture the First Node

Alister caught up to the rest of the Tough Nuts just as they made it to the entrance ramp of the depot. Lacera was in the lead and everyone stopped when she did.

Their leader then turned to Wraith and gave him a nod. 

"You got it, Boss," he said with a salute before activating his wrist-mounted Swingshot.

The black-furred Lombax aimed it up the side of the depot's wall and fired it with a twang of electrocable. It struck a spot just above a third story window and held fast. Wraith then retracted the cable and was swiftly raised to the third floor before vanishing through the window.

"Where's he going?" asked Alister as he watched Wraith disappear.

Lacera grinned, "Let's just say that you're about to find out why we call him Wraith," she said secretively, before turning and heading up the depot ramp.

Alister simply nodded and marched forward obediently.

The inside of the depot was a very simple layout. It had been, in fact, an actual supply depot. It needed to be repeatedly rebuilt due to the constant damage from students, but it was always rebuilt close to its original specs. 

Much of the building's interior was separated into large warehouses designed for storage along with office spaces where a company’s employees would work on the logistics and distribution of the inventory. 

The room just after the entrance ramp looked to be designed for loading and unloading cargo. It was big enough to fit the largest ground-based hauling vehicles that Alister could think of and was filled with wall and ceiling ports for freight to be collected from or deposited into. Many of these ports appeared to have been collapsed and were unusable, though.

Besides that, however, the room was completely empty, save for a few shattered guard bots. Lacera had likely taken care of them before luring out the Beat-All. Judging by the scorch marks of cannon fire that dotted the area, this had likely been its territory.

At the far end of the entrance were several standard-sized doorways minus the doors themselves. Lacera walked up to one and looked inside. 

The area beyond it was a hallway, typical of any office building. It went down in a straight line and intersected with several other hallways and rooms. Many of these rooms had simple, rectangular doorways and were similarly missing doors.

"Torque, you keep at least one room behind us," ordered Lacera. "Grunt we're going to check the rooms. I'll take the left side, you take right. Kill anything that's hostile and try not to get killed yourself."

"Understood," confirmed Alister.

"I shall happily be your understudy," replied Torque.

Lacera nodded one last time to both of them and then moved swiftly toward the first room on the left side of the hall. She hefted both of her KatomniWrenches before disappearing into it. 

Alister headed for the first entrance on the right to do the same. He peeked around the doorway slowly and found a small room with no other entries that was completely void of anything, just an empty concrete cube. 

He walked inside to double check and left when he was sure it was empty. 

As he emerged back into the hallway, he saw Lacera already disappearing into her next room. Her first one must have been clear, but now Alister worried that he'd soon be holding up the group as Torque stood dutifully on guard a door down from him. 

Moving to keep up with Lacera's experienced pace, Alister quickly checked each room on his side. He made it through three more before he found anything.

As he peered around the fifth door, he found a very large guardbot inside. It was almost twice the size of the others he’d seen up until now and was covered in armor. It held a hammer in one hand and large, one-handed blaster in the other. 

Despite his caution, the sentry spotted Alister and the white-furred Lombax dove forward into the room as it fired its weapon at him, blasting a chunk out of the doorframe. 

Alister came back up swinging his wrench. He struck his opponent hard in the gut and tore out a wide gouge of circuitry, but it wasn't enough to take it down. Blue streaks of electricity flashed into life around its hammer's head and danced excitedly as the robot raised the weapon high. 

Alister jumped again to get out of the way and narrowly avoided a blow that obliterated a piece of the floor.

As Alister came up again he found himself staring down the barrel of his enemy's blaster. He bent his legs and prepared himself. He would have to wait for the moment just before the robot fired to jump out of the shot's path then counterattack. This time he planned to aim for the head, but his chance never came.

The robotic guard was suddenly wrapped in the blue light of an electric discharge, which lit up the dark room and cast shadows everywhere. The guardbot shook violently and Alister watched as many of its systems overloaded, causing explosions all over its body. Then its eyes blew out of its head in a shower of crystal.

The electricity disappeared and the robot collapsed on the ground. As its body fell away, it revealed Torque standing in the doorway behind it. A barrel on The Dirge that ended in two prongs was sparking energetically from the residual charge of the electricity.

"Thanks," breathed Alister.

Torque merely nodded and returned to the hallway. Alister gathered himself and moved back into the hall as well. Lacera had held up at her next room to see if Alister would emerge all right, though, it was more likely that she was just following the protocol of not getting too far ahead of the other side. 

She also gave him a nod before silently returning to her task.

The group continued to progress like this, systematically clearing rooms, as they headed toward the center of the depot. 

One time, while Alister was inside yet another room, there was a loud explosion from out in the hall. He quickly emerged to see what it was, only to find Lacera walking out of her previous room as if nothing had happened. Torque likewise seemed unfazed. 

As Alister had moved on with his task, he glanced inside the room Lacera had just left and found three guard-bots, identical to the one he’d fought, lying in pieces.

About halfway to the end, their hallway intersected another one. Lacera held up her hand to make Alister and Torque stop moving. She then leaned forward, careful not to pass the halls’ corner, and activated her jumpboots. She blasted across the crossroad and a moment later the whole intersection was filled with the strobe effects of blaster fire.

"It's a heavy gun emplacement," she said over the comm. having managed to get a look in the short time it had taken her to cross. "Grunt, EMP."

Alister confirmed the order and pulled out a small cylinder from his grenade holster. He twisted the timing knob around to five seconds and clicked the activation button twice before tossing the object blindly around the corner in the direction the gunfire had come from.

More weapons fire bit chunks from the wall near Alister as whatever was shooting had seen his hand appear. He had pulled it back in time, though. 

Five seconds later there was a high pitched whine that echoed briefly down the hall and the gunfire immediately halted. Alister stuck his hand back out into the hallway, waved it around some, and then pulled it back. No shots came to greet it this time.

Alister looked to Lacera who had pulled out a plasma rifle and she waved him forward. He nodded his understanding and pulled out his Combuster, before they both swiftly turned the corner with their weapons raised. 

As Alister rounded the bend, he found himself staring down the barrel of a sentry turret that was flanked by armored barricades. Three robot guards stood behind them, two with blasters drawn and one standing at the controls of the turret. They all stared straight ahead and didn't move a servo as Alister and Lacera walked forward cautiously.

Lacera came up on Alister's side with her rifle raised, "I don't particularly like this part, but we have a schedule to keep," she said before squeezing the trigger on her weapon and putting a burst of three ionized plasma bolts into one guard's head.

Alister joined her and blasted apart the other guard behind the barricade while Lacera finished off the one on the turret. The Tough Nuts then turned back around and continued their sweeping mission with a business-like efficiency.

They found only a few more traps after the hallway intersection. 

Alister accidentally set off a tripwire and blasted an entire wall out of existence, while Lacera had found a whole squad of guard-bots lying in wait, but her reaction time was so fast that she decapitated every one of them before they could even fire their weapons.

Eventually, the three squadmates arrived at the end of the hall. It was a similar setup to the area they had entered from, except that there was only one, very large, metal door here. 

To its side was a giant, vertical wheel that had a Versabolt sticking out of its side. Clearly, the doors had to be manually opened by the bolt crank. Alister could feel the anxiousness in the air as Torque and Lacera prepared themselves.

"Get ready Grunt," said Lacera excitedly, "we're at the first node."

Alister felt his pulse increase slightly. The nodes were the primary objective of the game and the first team to grab two of them wins.

He listened through the door for sounds of fighting. He knew that the nodes were heavily guarded by depot defenses. However, he couldn't hear any sounds of combat, so he guessed that the Gold Bolts hadn't reached the warehouse yet.

"Grunt, open it just slightly," Lacera ordered. 

Alister quickly complied and grabbed the Versabolt with his wrench, pulling down just enough to open the door a crack and let Lacera peek through.

"It's pretty light for the first node," she began thoughtfully. "So, we're hitting it hard and fast. Torque, take lead," she finished before stepping aside.

Torque hefted The Dirge and pointed it at the door, "Once again into the spotlight!" he declared happily. 

Alister was about to open the door fully when he saw Lacera waving him away. A moment later he realized why and quickly moved aside, just before Torque blasted the door to smithereens and marched through it while laughing maniacally.

After shaking away the aftershock of the explosion, Alister followed.

Three Beat-Alls stood guard, surrounding a raised, fortified platform in the center of a massive, three-story-high room. 

One Beat-All was directly in front of Torque. Another one was stationed close to the center with the last one guarding the approach from the opposite side of the warehouse. 

Torque didn't hesitate to unleash a barrage of artillery shells into the first Beat-All's front end. Its armor was peeled back like a banana as shell after shell hit the same spot consecutively. The large machine then ignited into flames and fell without having fired a single round in retaliation.

Torque continued to fire while moving forward. A bright beam of light, similar to the one he’d used on the bunker, but with less power, flashed across the room and carved its way through the turrets stationed around the node at the room’s center. 

Dutifully, the large Lombax took special care to ensure that all heavy weaponry within sight was destroyed before he turned his focus onto the second Beat-All.

Lacera and Alister, on the other hand, were just standing in the shattered doorway while Torque did his thing, "It gives me such a warm feeling to see my boys so happy," Lacera said as she wiped away a fake tear from her visor. "Now let's go. Torque did his job and took care of the big guns, so it’s up to us to get the node."

Lacera blasted off a second later and Alister ignited his hoverboots in pursuit the second after that. 

He followed his leader across the battlefield as fast as he could. She would boost forward a short distance then run for another short distance before blasting off again. 

However, this method of mobility was inefficient for long distances. Alister's constantly propelling boots were much more effective and he was able to overtake Lacera before they had reached the center. He did make sure, though, to turn and smile back at her with a wave as he'd zoomed past. To his surprise, she returned the grin.

With the turrets gone, the only thing left guarding the area were several squads of guard-bots. A group of sword-handed robots ran out to greet Alister as he approached, while gun-wielding ones opened fire from behind. 

The young Lombax unclipped a grenade and rolled it like a bowling ball into the center of the group before firing into them with his Combuster. 

Just as he’d reached the group’s strike range, the grenade exploded and opened a path through the disoriented remainder of the squad. 

Taking the chance, he sped through the gap on his boots and left them behind. He knew that Lacera would probably be better at handling the close range enemies, so he left them to her.

Only a few seconds later Alister managed to reach the line of gun-wielding enemies, despite having to cross through a hail of gunfire. 

He tossed another grenade and opened up with his Combuster just like with the first group, then he swerved around, avoiding the majority of the retaliatory shots. A few blasts grazed him, but they were small and tolerable. 

The grenade exploded and Alister used the opening it made to get in close. Once he was almost within touching distance, he switched to his combat shotgun and started blasting rounds into his enemies at close range.

Alister had barely managed to blow-up or shoot out over half of the robots when Lacera appeared from out of nowhere. She struck like a lightning bolt, destroying two robots as she came hurtling into the fray. 

Before Alister even had time to blink, she was suddenly holding a Shard Reaper in her hands and pouring high-velocity spikes of trillium into the group. Alister turned around to see what had become of the group he'd thought she'd have taken care off. However, he was only able to find a large quantity of robot parts scattered over the warehouse floor.

"Too slow," laughed Lacera as she blew away the last of the robot guards in a spray of shrapnel. "Let's get to the node," she then commanded as she ran onward.

Alister bit back his mild feeling of inadequacy and followed her deeper into the fortifications, toward the node platform. 

The echoing booms of Torque fighting the Beat-All and any remain defenses could still be heard behind them, but now there was something else. 

Lacera held up a hand to stop Alister as she listened carefully. Even more explosions could be heard from the other side of the node defenses.

Without a word, Lacera began moving again and Alister followed. After a few more meters, and a few more scrapped robot guards, they arrived at the edge of the node platform. 

The two Tough Nuts kept low as they cautiously peered over the very exposed platform area. Just on the other side, they could see the backs of a line of guard-bots and heavy weapons emplacements, which were all firing at something, while the loud boom of a Beat-All's cannon could be heard from just beyond them.

"Looks like the Gold Bolts are a little late to the party," noted Lacera cheerfully. 

Alister grabbed a high explosive grenade and was about to line up for a throw toward the line of guards when Lacera held up a hand to stop him, "Don't bother. They're already focused on another enemy. They won't get in our way now," she then pointed to the node control panel. "Get the node," she ordered.

Alister nodded and started to move forward. 

As he stood up, however, he was immediately struck in the shoulder by a high-energy sniper round that blasted him off his feet. Lacera then quickly, but carefully moved out from cover and dragged Alister back to safety as blood oozed from the charred hole in his armor. 

The injured Lombax grit his teeth against the pain as his nerves burned from the hit as Nanotech quickly closed the wound and stopped the bleeding, before it started the painful task of reknitting his damaged muscles and nerves.

Lacera looked down at him, "Yep, I thought so," she said as if she'd known all along. "Snipers are such a pain when they're not on your side."

Alister growled angrily, "Then why did you have me break cover?" he demanded through his teeth.

Lacera looked at him as though the answer were obvious, "Because we needed to expose their location and ‘I’ wasn't going to do it... That's what ‘grunts’ are for."

"You could have at least warned me," Alister shot back as the nanite’s pain-numbing took effect.

Lacera shook her head, "You wouldn't have done it then."

Alister narrowed his eyes, "Did you at least see where they are?" he asked.

Lacera shrugged, "No, I wasn't really paying attention," she answered casually. "But don't worry about it," she added after seeing Alister's features darken. "I'm sure ‘someone’ did."

Alister was about to indignantly ask ‘who’ when the beam from a Plasma Striker flashed across the ceiling overhead. The sharp crack of the shot was barely audible over the sound of explosions and gunfire.

In unison, both Alister and Lacera’s comm. links crackled, "I'm moving, Boss," informed Wraith’s voice.

"Well, that should take care of that," said Lacera as she stood up and began walking nonchalantly toward the node platform.

Alister got up and followed behind her with his head still down, "What if their sniper is still there?" he questioned.

Lacera stopped, turned to Alister with a confused look on her face, then she just shook her head disappointedly and kept walking toward the node controls. 

They were completely out in the open, if the sniper was still capable of attacking, now would be the perfect time, but nothing happened. 

Alister cautiously stood up and looked around. At the far end of the warehouse he could make out the forms of several other Lombaxes firing back at the defenses, but they were mostly pinned down by counter fire.

"I got the node," declared Lacera as she stowed her weapon and walked toward the control panel. "You cover me."

Alister moved up close to his leader and pulled out his plasma rifle. He held it steady to the backs of the robot guard’s defense line, while keeping an eye on the Gold Bolts' position. 

As he did, Lacera activated the control panel and a large holo-screen appeared with a circle made of dash marks. There was a short countdown and then the game began. A selecting marker sped across the row of dashes at an incredible speed. It hit the other side in no time and then bounced back along the row again.

Alister glanced back and wanted to watch and see what happened next, but his ears twitched as he noticed a drop in the amount of gunfire coming from the far end of the warehouse.

He turned away from the node and saw that the Gold Bolts were retreating. Clearly, they had realized that without their sniper, they couldn't stop the Tough Nuts from taking the first node.

Unfortunately, however, now that their first targets were leaving, the defense-bots began to turn around and acquire new targets. 

Alister didn't wait a moment to think about it. He poured plasma rounds into any robot that turned around or stopped firing at the Gold Bolts. 

It didn't take long though, for the number of enemies that were disengaging the other team to grow beyond his ability to strike them down.

As they began approaching in force, Alister began tossing grenades into their ranks. He held his ground as best he could, while nervously glancing back at Lacera on occasion to see how she was progressing. 

Lacera was completely focused on her task and didn't notice at all the horde of robots making their way towards her. She managed to activate four out of five of the highlighted marks before she slammed the X button again. But, the screen flashed red and beeped. The selecting mark was frozen just on the edge of a highlighted area and then the screen reset.

"Ahhhh!" roared Lacera angrily. "This game cheats," she then added bitterly before resuming her task.

Alister's rifle clicked dry and he quickly switched to his Combuster. The waves of enemy soldiers had almost reached them now, "We have to pull back!" he shouted urgently to Lacera.

Lacera didn't take her eyes off the holo-screen, "I'm not moving, Grunt. Just take care of them," she commanded stubbornly.

Alister groaned, but made sure to keep the noise low enough that Lacera wouldn't hear it. He blasted away at the oncoming horde, destroying dozens of them. Despite his best efforts though, he’d only managed to slow them down by a few seconds before they reached the platform. 

With great skill, Alister then armed and threw out three grenades simultaneously, blasting a line of breathing room out of the approaching tide. He may not have the fastest hands when it came to weapon switching, but he was a master of using hand-held explosive devices.

Still, the enemies were too numerous. He pulled out his shotgun and laid into them with everything he had. Literally, as when he had no more room to back up, the white-furred Lombax dove into the mass, swinging his wrench and shooting his shotgun in every direction, jumping left and right and rolling around, trying to keep his distance, but also trying to keep their attention on him.

A hammer, wrapped in an electric energy field, struck Alister in the back from his blindspot. The force of the strike sent the desperate Lombax flying and it shattered the armor plates on his back, as well as cracked some of his vertebrae. 

The pain was intense, but somehow Alister managed to land with his gun towards his attacker. He blasted apart the large robot guard that had struck him, before hastily refocusing on shooting as many rounds into the rest of the group as possible... but it wasn't enough.

Another large, hammer-wielding robot guard had managed to get within striking distance of Lacera now. After its companion had sent Alister flying away, it chose to switch to a closer target.

Alister's shotgun ran dry and he switched to his Combuster before he fired round after round at the large robot in an attempt to stop it. Try as he might, however, the other robots were getting in his way and he couldn't get a clear shot. 

He watched as the large robot lifted its hammer high and sparks spat from its weapon as it stood poised over Lacera's unknowing back.

"Cera!" Alister shouted desperately.

A sharp crack split the air as a bolt of charged plasma split the face of the large robot. The metal giant stood there headless for a moment before slowly toppling over backwards from the weight of its raised hammer and back into its companions

The rest of the horde surged forward to try and complete the task their large leader had failed to do, but a hail of plasma bolts cut into them a moment later. Each one was precisely aimed, hitting critical points and scoring a kill apiece. Alister lent his own firepower to the attack and within seconds the remaining troops were decimated.

"I'm moving again, Boss," said Wraith's voice over the comm. "Gonna be a bit this time."

“Understood,” said Lacera before she slammed the X button again and the screen lit up green before playing a congratulatory tone. 

An animatronic voice played over speakers throughout the depot, "The Tough Nuts have captured node number one," it said informatively.

Lacera smiled as the node turned blue to indicate that her team had taken control of it. She then turned to Alister, who was still lying on his back before striding over to him casually and looking down.

"You ok?" she asked in a clearly unconcerned tone.

Alister moved the muscles in his back and felt pain shoot through it, "Y-yeah, I'll be fine," he assured her. He then looked up at the Nanotech gauge on his visor, "But I'm going to need some more Nanotech soon," he added.

Lacera nodded then lifted up her foot… before she put it down firmly on Alister's chest.

Pain shot through Alister’s back again and he bit back a shout of agony as his leader locked eyes with him, "I told you that when we're on the battlefield, my name is either Boss or Supreme Overlord Master of All things," she said coldly. "Got that?"

Alister gulped painfully, "Yes… Boss," he replied.

Lacera lifted up her foot again, "Good," she said before turning away and taking a few steps back toward the node platform. Then she stopped a few feet away before reaching up and pulling at her ear tip distractedly, "Besides," she began with her back still turned, "it's too early for you to be screaming my name like that."

She then continued onward to the node. Alister exhaled deeply and leaned his head back onto the floor. He had no clue what had just happened, but he was too exhausted to be confused at the moment. He just pushed everything he could into the back of his mind and relaxed on the ground while letting his Nanotech do its job.

* * *

Torque was standing at the node as Lacera approached, "How's our young performer doing?" he asked.

"He'll be fine," she answered. "Just leave him the Nanotech crate."

Torque nodded his acknowledgement. 

In the time since the node had been taken, two small teleporter pads had deployed to either side of it and each had summoned a crate immediately after. On the first one was a clear, glass-like box with a ball of energized Nanotech swirling around inside it. On the other was a green crate with an ammunition symbol on it.

Lacera smiled to herself as she pictured the face Torque was making as he eyed it hungrily beneath his mask, "Go ahead," she consented.

Torque smiled inside his helmet as he stomped happily toward the crate like an eager child to a box of sweets. He raised The Dirge up into the air and two prongs extended from its top and bottom. When they were fully deployed, it made the front of the weapon resemble a large Omniwrench. 

Torque then swung his weapon down and bashed the crate open. Cartridges of ammo spilled from the box like candy from a piñata. Torque dropped his weapon, like a child dropping a bat after smashing said piñata, and began collecting all the ammo by either shoving it directly into The Dirge or into slots on the sides of his oversized backpack.

Lacera watched him as he did so, "We'll need to get moving quickly," she said while thinking out loud. "They may be pompous, but they're not idiots. They're headed straight for the second node now and we'll have to follow them if we want to stop them from taking it."

Torque grunted his agreement before standing up with a few spare clips in his hands, "My instrument does not require more of these," he said.

Lacera looked at the pile of mostly plasma rifle and shotgun rounds in his arms, "I think the grunt ran out of both of them. Just leave them for him to grab," she instructed before taking a few steps towards the door that the Gold Bolts had retreated through. "It would seem that Kor isn't sticking with the main group. He's probably either going for the third node by himself or biding his time. I only hope that he hasn't run into Kaden yet."

Torque looked up at her quizzically, "You worry for our young, mechanical protégé?" he asked.

"No," Lacera answered with a grin, "I just want my own chance for a little Suraisu family vengeance." She then activated her comm. unit, "Wraith, we're moving on to the second node from the Gold Bolts' side," she said.

There was a short pause before a simple reply came back, "Understood."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Versabolt - Many examples of the vertical Versabolt crank can be seen in A Crack in Time.


	8. Race to the Second Node

Lacera and Alister were moving alongside Torque as the three of them cautiously followed a trail of destruction that was sure to lead them to the Gold Bolts. 

Having just captured the first node on the lowest floor of the massive supply depot building, the Tough Nuts had decided to press forward along the same path their retreating opponents had taken. This way they were less likely to run into Depot defenses, assuming their enemies had taken care of them first. If not, then they would run into the Gold Bolts themselves which was all the better.

This path led up several flights of stairs and even a few collapsed ceiling sections that had formed natural ramp ways, which the three Tough Nuts ascended cautiously.

Lacera had explained to Alister that it was a common tactic to sacrifice a node that another team had the advantage on, in order to get their own advantage on the next one. When this happened, the disadvantaged team would usually split and risk attacking two nodes at once with the hopes of overcoming the node defenses before their opponents could show up.

As for the advantaged team, all they had to do was capture one more node to win, so they would usually just head for the least defended one. In this particular situation though, the Tough Nuts couldn't find any sign of the Gold Bolts having split off and their trail was leading straight for the second node. 

Under normal circumstances, this would mean that the Tough Nuts would head for the third node and a quick victory, but this was not a normal circumstance. 

A simple Capture the Depot victory wasn't what the Tough Nuts were after and Lacera was sure they knew that. The trio kept moving onward, but they couldn't shake a foreboding feeling.

Several explosions went off around them. None of the blasts were close enough to threaten the group, but Torque and Lacera’s experienced ears could tell that the shockwaves had been spaced out in a calculated way. It only took a second for all of them to realize that the explosions were meant to seal their way backward or sideways.

Just when the echoes of the explosions had died, the silence was suddenly broken again by a salvo of weapons fire that erupted from the only way forward.

The yet unseen assailants let loose with every weapon they had, one of which happened to be a missile launcher. Alister dove into the nearest room when he heard the familiar screech of a rocket engine igniting.

Torque, on the other hand, stomped forward to meet the attack head-on. He stuck out The Dirge and two of the shorter barrels extended themselves further before lighting up brightly and projecting an orange shield outward. 

The incoming rocket and another wave of small arms fire splashed against the energy barrier and sprayed the walls in front of it with shrapnel and plasma, but nothing passed through to the Tough Nuts' side.

"My deepest gratitude!" shouted Torque through his helmet speakers turned on full, his voice booming down the hallway toward the Gold Bolts’ position. "I was growing tired of the intermission. Allow me to repay you with a song."

Two missiles on The Dirge suddenly tore off through the air, shrieking as they went. They passed right through the one-way shield and blazed their way down the hall toward the entrenched enemy team. Once they had reached roughly the center of the enemy position, they detonated, sending shaped shockwaves all the way back down that hall. 

The air reverberated gently against Torque's shield and the hallway instantly filled with smoke. The large Lombax laughed jovially at the carnage, before marching forward into the dust storm with his machine guns blazing. 

As the cloud of disintegrated concrete faded, the Tough Nuts could see the devastation that Torque's missiles had wrought. Most of the walls had been shattered and the ceiling was caving in at some places, revealing the next floor above. 

One of the enemy Gold Bolts could be seen lying face down in the corner of a gutted room. 

Another one further away managed to stand up and begin firing again, but they were quickly cut down by Torque's hail of bullets. 

The final one, at the farthest room, scrambled to their feet and ran for the large doors at the end of the hall.

"Where are you going?" cackled Torque after them. "The show isn't over," He then dropped his shield and charged forward as fast as his overloaded, but motor assisted, armored legs could take him.

Lacera chased after Torque, who was moving much faster than anyone would have suspected possible, "Come on, Grunt," she shouted back cheerfully. "They didn't teleport away so that means they're still alive. That'll be three more down… and just one to go," she added as she did a headcount of the enemy team and knew which member would be left.

Alister quickly got up and ran after his two teammates. He felt the adrenaline of certain victory running through him and a large burst of pride filled him at seeing his team reverse an ambush so devastatingly and without a scratch. 

Torque continued to laugh through his helmet's speakers as he sent another barrage of anti-personnel rounds chasing after their remaining enemy's tail.

As shots smacked the wall and floor around them, the fleeing enemy dropped a grenade onto the floor. A moment later it exploded and a thick cloud of smoke filled the hall once more. Torque showed no sign that he even noticed the smokescreen, as he stomped eagerly into it.

Lacera turned to Alister, "Grunt, you finish off the first one," she ordered with a gesture to the enemy Lombax lying in the shattered office remains. She then focused her eyes on where the second one was lying before running straight for them.

Alister hefted his wrench and followed his orders eagerly. He ran into the shattered remains of the room and stood over his enemy with his wrench raised high. 

Alister briefly noted that it seemed cruel to hit an enemy while they were down, but Alister knew that they would be teleported away before they were too badly injured. Besides, even though it was just a simulation, it was a simulation of war.

But that wasn’t the only thing that was off here. Alister took a moment to study his opponent carefully. Their armor had looked a little odd at first, but what was really telling, was when Alister got a good angle on their face… it was a robot’s.

With sudden realization and horror, Alister turned to his leader, "Boss!" he shouted before grabbing the shattered attack decoy and lifting them up. "It's a dopplebanger!"

Lacera froze on the spot and turned to Alister with a look of surprise in her eyes. She then quickly turned back around and studied her own target before looking back up the hall in alarm, "Torque!" she yelled through her comm.

But there was no reply over the comm. or even a pause in the sound of gunfire. A loud boom then echoed through the hall, coupled with the shattering sound of walls. Then the sounds of shooting suddenly ceased.

"Oh my," said Torque in mild surprise over the comm.

The sounds of weapons fire restarted again, this time with almost double the level of noise and mix of munitions. It was clear that not even Torque’s equipment could have made all of it at once. 

Lacera growled her dissatisfaction and quickly ran forward. Alister followed right behind. 

When the two of them got to the other side of the dying smokescreen, they found Torque with an advanced, bi-pedal dopplebanger sitting at his feet. However, he had forgotten about the metallic decoy entirely. Instead, his defense shield was fully deployed and at least three barrels blazing from his weapon at any given time, he was trading fire with a massive battalion of robot guards, turrets, and a few Beat-Alls on the other side of another huge warehouse.

That wasn't all either. At the center of the depot defense group was a colossal version of a robot guard. It was almost twice as tall as a Beat-All and it was covered in armored plates. It was armed with a chainsaw-sword in one hand and a massive cannon in place of the other. The towering robot slowly turned its large, robotic eyes on the Tough Nuts and aimed at them with its ranged weapon.

"We have to pull back," said Alister immediately as the giant's barrel began to glow.

"No!" shouted Lacera, but, to Alister’s surprise, the word wasn't aimed at him or Torque.

Instead, Lacera was looking through a pair of binoculars and was staring toward the distant side of the massive warehouse. Her two subordinates followed her gaze as well. Alister pulled out a pair of his own and Torque mentally commanded his helmet to zoom in as far as possible. 

It was then that they could all see the soft heat haze-like shimmer that was caused by the lightly camo-cloaked forms of the Gold Bolts, who were scaling the walls just out of weapons range. 

The second node was in the same warehouse they were in, but it was set into an alcove at the far end of it, surrounded by guards and defenses with two stairwell entrances leading up from below. 

The Gold Bolts were clearly planning on bypassing the lot of it.

A loud boom echoed through the room, tearing their attention away, as the giant's cannon unleashed its charged blast of energy. Torque immediately stopped firing his weapon and the orange shield it was generating turned dark blue as all of Torque’s systems rerouted power to reinforce it. 

The giant's shot hit the shield and shook the very air in the lungs of its occupants, causing Torque to groan audibly under the weight of holding up the shield.

Eventually, the rumbling stopped and Torque's shield turned back to a calm orange. He began to fire at the defenses again a moment later, "I don't have many of those left in me," he informed Lacera.

The leader of the Tough Nuts racked her mind for a plan. They had fallen right into the Gold Bolts' trap. Had the Gold Bolts continued their stealth-based tactic on their own, the defenses would have eventually noticed them. It was a plan destined to fail on its own, but now that the defenses had locked onto the Tough Nuts, the distraction would likely be enough to grant the Gold Bolts victory.

The second and third nodes often had odd arrangements of defenses compared to the first one, which itself was always designed to offer equal opportunity to both sides. The variations in design ranged from puzzle locks and trap-lined mazes to hordes of enemies, big fortifications, and big guns. This one was clearly much of the latter.

They couldn't retreat either, not with the exits collapsed behind them. It may be possible for them to blast their way through a wall or two, but to do it safely with respect to avalanches and possible Depot traps would require time they didn't have. 

Then there was the threat that the guard-bots in front of them who could fit through the doorway they stood in would start to pour into the halls after them. The tight spaces would reduce the effectiveness of their numbers, but cleaning them all from the hallways would take even more time. 

And, besides all that... Lacera simply didn't want to let the Gold Bolts capture a node.

Lacera activated her comm. unit, "Wraith?!" she demanded over the link. "We're pinned down at the second node, the Gold Bolts are way ahead of us! Where are you?!"

The team listened carefully for a long few seconds before Wraith finally replied, "Sorry, Boss," he said quietly. His voice sounded broken, as if there was some kind of interference with the transmission. "I don't think I can make it."

Lacera growled angrily, "So much for support," she spat. "We need to stop them from taking that node."

Torque took a step forward while still firing through his shield, "Then you had better get to your stage, Boss," he replied over the constant echo of gunfire.

"Are you sure you can handle it down here?" Lacera asked, unsure if it was a good idea.

Torque nodded his armored head, "I assure you, no mechanical creature will outperform me on the battlefield. Besides, I do believe it is time for my solo."

Lacera nodded her consent and turned to Alister, "The moment Torque moves, we move," she explained with a commanding tone. "We're going to head straight for the node. No stopping and no going back. Anything that's too slow to chase us we leave in our dust and only bother to kill what's too dangerous to leave alive. Got it?"

Alister nodded his understanding and prepared himself. Lacera did the same and so did Torque. When everyone was ready, Lacera gave a nod and Torque squeezed hard on the multi-triggered handle of his weapon.

Almost every barrel on The Dirge flashed into life, sending projectile rounds, mortar shells, energy beams, plasma, and missiles screaming towards their enemies. 

He then began to slowly march forward with heavy-footed steps and Lacera took off the moment he took the first one. Alister followed right behind.

Even though Alister was faster than Lacera on his hoverboots he didn't have to hold back in order to stay in pace with her this time. She was pushing herself very hard to move as fast as she could. 

The reason why was clear, too. Enemies had started swarming towards them the moment they moved from the cover of Torque's shield.

Torque was handling the big guns and the front ranks of enemies, but there were many automatons outfitted for speed rather than raw power. Their role was to take out stragglers and the weaker parts of groups... their programming had chosen Alister and Lacera as optimal targets.

Speedy attack robots began to reach them at random intervals. These robots only carried light arms or melee weapons and had almost no armor. Lacera swiftly annihilated anything that came near her with her wrenches and Alister blasted away anything just out of reach. 

However, even the mere few seconds the duo spared to eliminate an enemy cost them precious time. 

More and more enemies were showing up now and that, in turn, slowed their progress even further. It became very clear, very quickly that at the rate their movement was declining, they'd soon be brought to a halt.

Despite the heavy losses the fast-moving robots had suffered, they had done their jobs. Lacera and Alister had been slowed down just enough to allow a group of slower moving, but more heavily armed guards to reach them. 

Bogged down and surrounded the two Lombaxes fought back to back against the depot defense-bots. They weren't worried about being able to defeat their attackers though, they were sure that they could handle them, but it was time that was against them.

The longer they fought, the closer the Gold Bolts got to the second node, but if the two of them tried to take down the guards too quickly, they'd make mistakes and be punished for it. 

The battle was becoming more and more frustrating the longer it went on. Lacera grit her teeth as another plasma round struck her in the back. It was the price she had paid for managing to strike down three guards in one move.

Alister tried to cover Lacera as best he could, but as he looked past the wall of enemies right in front of him, he could see that even more guard-bots were now breaking off of the main group and heading their way. If they stayed where they were much longer, their skirmish would become a full-fledged battle.

Just when it seemed that there was no end in sight, a wave of sound slammed against Lacera and Alister’s ears as explosions rippled around them. Lacera turned to find the source of the attack and found Torque lending firing support from the other side of the warehouse. 

His explosive rounds were aimed with practiced precision as he quickly thinned the wall of attackers around his companions. Lacera was waving her gratitude back at him when he was suddenly engulfed in a huge fireball fired from a Beat-All.

Lacera frowned and turned back to Alister, "Come on Grunt, let's break through while we still have a chance."

Alister's eyes were still on the large fireball, "What about Torque?" he questioned fearfully.

A moment later, however, Torque emerged from the flames with steam hissing off his armor. He wasted no time before he charged straight for the Beat-All that had assaulted him. He blasted away at it until the large bug-tank was nothing more than scrap metal. Then he returned to the task of single-mindedly annihilating the main group of enemies.

* * *

“Nevermind,” said Alister.

Lacera and Alister were moving again. Thanks to Torque they had been able to escape the confines of the guard-bots and had easily outpaced them since. 

However, now a similar event was beginning to unfold. Along with more of the speedy enemy robots, Alister and Lacera were now being attacked by buzzing aero-drones like the ones from outside the depot. They were easy enough to destroy, it only took one good shot from a blaster, but they were quick and hard to get a bead on. Any time wasted shooting them down would let the swarm of guards on their tail catch-up a little bit more.

They were facing another problem as well, unlike Alister who did the majority of his movements on hoverboots, Lacera had been running all this time with only her short jumps in-between. 

While her determination and endurance had been enough to keep up a swift pace at the onset, it was clear that exhaustion was setting in and she was beginning to slow down. Her booster jumps were quickly becoming the only real amount of forward progress they were making towards their objective. Alister hated to say it, but Lacera was actually holding them back. He had now taken to zooming around her in circles, trying to keep her path clear. 

The horde of robots behind them were now gaining ground at an alarming rate. Their numbers had seemed to double as well. It was as if every smaller robot in the warehouse had decided to go after them rather than fight Torque. A smart decision, Alister realized.

Any minute now Alister and Lacera would once again be trapped in the same predicament as before. Alister glanced at the colossus on the other side of the warehouse and watched as it swung its massive sword at the floor. He couldn't even see Torque clearly from where he stood and so was fairly certain that he and Lacera couldn't count on another rescue this time.

Lacera turned to look at Alister and immediately knew what he was thinking, "Go," she ordered breathlessly as she stopped running and blasted another aero-drone out of the sky.

"What?" asked Alister in confusion.

"I'm... at my limit," she admitted bitterly as she heaved for oxygen. "You know as well as I do that we won't make it in time like this... You go on ahead, I'll catch up."

"No way!" Alister replied reflexively.

Sure, the thought had crossed his mind, but he had dismissed it almost instantly. Besides the fact that it was unlikely he could defeat three other, heavily armed Nova students on his own, there was no way he could just leave Lacera behind. The two of them fighting together had their hands full with the mass of oncoming enemies before. Now there were almost twice that number. Her odds wouldn’t have been great even if she ‘hadn’t’ just sprinted the length of the warehouse.

"Grunt, I'm ordering you to go," Lacera said sternly, seeing his hesitation "Just hold them off at the node until I get there."

"But..." Alister tried to counter.

"Now!" Lacera ordered forcefully. "If you don't get moving, Grunt, I'm going to shoot you myself, got it?"

Alister, realizing she meant it, had no choice but to comply, "Yes... Boss," he said reluctantly before turning in the direction of the node and blasting off on his hoverboots.

Lacera watched him leave and sighed as light fire from more aero-drones zipped past her. She could have kept running a little further, but, at this point, she knew she wouldn’t reach the node before the mob caught up. If she stopped now though, she’d at least have a little strength left to fight them.

She knew that she wouldn't be catching-up to Alister anytime soon. She wasn't even sure she could handle the oncoming rush of enemies if she was honest, she had paid a hefty price for rushed tactics. Her only hope now was that Alister could delay the Gold Bolts long enough for Torque or Wraith to reach him, wherever those two were.

Briefly, Lacera wondered if Kaden might show up, but knew that he was likely following the plan and waiting at the third node by now. She silently cursed her over-eager desire for payback that drove her team into this predicament. She knew she should have just headed for the third node and guaranteed a victory, but she had wanted to take down Kor before he reached Kaden's position.

_ ‘But now isn’t the time for second guessing,’ _ she told herself.

Shaking unnecessary thoughts from her head, Lacera reached behind her back and grabbed the largest weapon she had. It was a heavy blaster that had been modified with enough fire rate upgrades to classify it as a machine gun. 

She aimed it carefully and fired off several controlled bursts to pick off the enemies closing in on her. Then she aimed her weapon at the front runner of the robot horde and opened up on full. Shot after shot spewed from her weapon and she began cutting down her enemies like a farmer cutting down crops.

She smiled to herself as she imagined how irritated Torque would be if he saw her copying his style, saying something along the lines of 'too many of the same instruments isn't a ‘band’ of warriors, it's an orchestra!' 

Despite the heavy fire though, the tidal wave of guard-bots showed no signs of slowing down or that they'd even lost any numbers at all. They seemed unending as they tirelessly pushed forward undaunted.

Lacera was moving backwards as quickly as she could now, switching periodically between shooting the mass of robot guards straight ahead and blasting the buzzing aero-drones still trying to be as annoying as possible… a job which they were doing very well.

Soon the horde was upon her. They were practically within spitting distance when she felt her heavy blaster run dry and click empty. 

She tossed it aside without a second thought and pulled out both of her KatomniWrenches in preparation to face the army in front of her. At this range, she would need to keep close to the mass of enemies, so as not to be targeted by anything with a decent gun.

Lacera bent her knees and aimed herself like a missile at the first guard in the group. It was a simple, sword-wielding one and it would be the first to die. She gripped the handle of her wrenches tightly as she eyed the hammer-wielding guard next to the first one, it would be the second to die. She quickly mapped out how her opening move would go and then left the rest up to her instincts.

_ 'Let's do this,' _  she thought.

The moment her first target was in range, Lacera blasted forward and struck it down in the same breath. She then ducked under the hammer of the second robot and came back up to sever it across its waist joint, where the armor was weakest. 

She took down three more guard-bots before the mass of enemies had managed to encircle her. 

However, just before she was completely surrounded, she blasted off on her jumpboots back through the only remaining gap in their ranks and skid to a halt several feet away, ready to repeat the whole thing again.

Three more times she attacked and retreated. Each time taking down nearly half a dozen machines, but ceaselessly they pressed on. The lightly-armored ones were easy, but, unlike the first node, there were a good number of the heavily armored variants to fight as well.

Lacera's body was beginning to feel the strain of non-stop combat. Her moves were becoming sluggish and her weapons were getting heavier. She didn't know how much longer she could keep this up.

Again she leapt forward into battle and took out another three before a sharp blade slashed across her shoulder. Her armor took most of the damage, but she still felt cold metal bite into her flesh. 

Immediately she spun around for a counter-attack, but had to stop mid-swing as her exit was closing fast. Even with their weak AI programming, the depot guards were learning her tactics and each time she attacked they moved to close her escape even more quickly than the last.

She ignited her boots once again and narrowly escaped the horde by turning sideways and brushing between two guard-bots as she left. 

Waiting for her on the outskirts of the horde was an armored guardbot with its pistol raised.

The metal soldier fired its weapon and struck Lacera in the arm, puncturing her armor and causing pain to shoot through her side. 

The skilled Lombax spun in the air and, with her uninjured arm, flung a Comet-strike at her assailant's head. 

Her wrench flew through the air and struck the large guardbot in the face. It wasn't destroyed completely, but its ocular sensors were severely damaged, effectively taking it out of the fight.

Despite the excellent counter-attack, Lacera still hit the ground hard and slid a short distance, before she could regain her balance and get back to her feet. Her Nanotech was quickly repairing the wound in her side, but in the mere half-a-second it had taken her to regain her footing, her enemies were upon her once more and closing around her more quickly than ever.

Lacera fought onward and desperately eyed the timer on her HUD that indicated when she'd be ready to jump again. The moment her clock read 0.02 seconds remaining, she ignited her jumpboots. She didn’t actually see the clock, she was simply so experienced with her jumpboots that she could activate them on instinct, knowing that the delay in the activation signal would account for the extra twenty milliseconds. 

She flew like a rocket, away from the swarm of enemies… and straight into the chest of another armored guardbot that had jumped in her way at the last second.

The armored guard-bots weren't only bigger and better equipped than the regular ones, but they were smarter too. This one had realized that it was much easier to go where it knew she would be, rather than try to catch her where she was.

Still, the force of Lacera slamming into its body sent it careening into the warehouse floor. Lacera's head was spinning from the impact, but she was OK for the most part. 

The real problem was that she had lost her escape velocity and the mass of enemy robots had once again surrounded her. This time she had no chance of breaking out. She watched helplessly as her only escape route was sealed at last.

She stood up, surrounded by bloodthirsty robots, as she leaned back into a completely defensive stance. She didn't know how many she could take down before they got the better of her, but she would make sure to bring down as many as possible.

Two robots dove at her with sharpened sword-arms swinging. She dodged the clumsy attacks easily and destroyed them without wasting a single ounce of effort. Shots were fired at her as she recovered her footing, but she slid smoothly from their path. They struck the robots that had been behind her instead.

Expertly she fought, pressed on by pure adrenaline and determination as she struck down guard after guard. She continued to keep her attackers at bay while cutting them down.

Despite her skill, she was still completely surrounded, and several lucky swings and blaster shots did manage to hit home. Though they were minor nicks and cuts, they were a sign of things to come that would only get worse from here on in.

An eardrum-shattering series of booms suddenly ripped through the ranks of robots around her.

Lacera’s body was rocked with the force of concussive shockwaves and she was sprayed with debris as explosions continued to erupt from every direction. 

Before she could even wonder what had caused the destruction, something slammed into her side hard enough to send her flying sideways across the ground.

As she sailed through the air, while even more explosions shook the air around her, many things raced through her mind. She wondered what had managed to hit her without her noticing it coming, she also wondered how damaged her body would be when the shellshock had finally worn off, and she wondered if she would have enough strength left to fight off whatever had just attacked her. 

She also wondered if her team would be alright without her and if she had failed them as a leader, but of all the questions that came to Lacera's mind, the one that was most pressing was,  _ 'Why haven't I hit the floor yet?' _

Lacera opened her eyes and was stunned to find Alister's face only inches from her own. She blinked hard several times in disbelief, then she began to look around and slowly realized that she was being carried in his arms as the churning mass of enemy robots she’d been fighting was rapidly being outpaced and left behind them.

"I'm sorry about the danger close grenades," Alister apologized, without looking down, while trying to keep his balance on his hoverboots with the added weight of another person. "It was the only way I could get to you and get back out again."

Lacera was still slightly in a state of shock, having already accepted her fate to fight to the end just a few seconds ago, "What are you doing here?" she asked with her eyes squinted questioningly.

Alister grimaced at the glare, "After I left for the node, I thought to myself 'if we both had hoverboots we could outrun our enemies easily'. Then I came up with this," he explained hesitantly. "Sorry, about disobeying an order."

Lacera nodded her head as she comprehended the situation, "No, it was a good idea," she said. Then she added quietly, "Thanks, Grunt."

Now Alister looked surprised, "You mean you aren't mad?" he asked with disbelief.

"Well, I'll admit that it's a little bold," replied Lacera as she considered the situation, "but I’m up for a little role-reversal from time to time. Besides, you ‘did’ save my fur and I have to acknowledge that."

Alister didn’t really get the first part of what his commander had said, but sighed in relief at hearing the second part. He had been sure that he'd end up getting shot for this.

But Alister’s relief quickly disappeared as gunfire began to kick up around him. Both he and Lacera looked up to see several aero-drones chasing them now.

Alister swerved to try and avoid the fire, but his maneuverability had been reduced dramatically with Lacera in his arms. A few shots pinged off his armor and one even managed to find a soft spot. 

Alister bit back the pain as he couldn't do anything about the drones at the moment. Lacera, however, was free to make a shooting gallery out of them... except that she didn't.

"What are you waiting for?" Alister asked with an expectant glance aimed at his leader. "Shoot them."

Lacera’s expression soured, “I can’t reach my rifle on my back and my Shard Reaper won’t reach,” she noted unhappily, as much to herself as to Alister.

“You don’t have any other guns on you?” Alister demanded in disbelief.

“No, I’ve only got something I’m saving for later and-” Lacera's eyes then grew wide for a moment before her expression suddenly hardened, "Why don't you do it?" she retaliated coldly.

Alister returned the look indignantly, "My arms are a little busy at the moment," he countered sarcastically.

Lacera broke eye contact and looked ahead, "We're almost to the stairwell," she said as she spotted the entrance to the alcove stairs up ahead. "Just hold out until then."

Alister blinked in confusion, "What do you mean 'hold out'? We're getting shot at!" he exclaimed as more shots struck the back of his armor.

Lacera's expression was wary, "Ok," she conceded finally. "Just let me use your Combuster. Where is it?" she asked before looking around for Alister's weapon.

As she did, her movements shifted the duo’s center of gravity, throwing Alister off balance. So much so that he almost lost control of his hoverboots.

"Stop moving around!" he ordered in frustration. "What's wrong with your sidearm? You have one, right?"

Lacera clenched her jaw and spoke through her teeth reluctantly, "Yes," she answered.

"Well?" pressed Alister.

Lacera was quiet for a few seconds, then another salvo of shots forced Alister to swerve and refocus on his hoverbooting. 

In that moment, while Alister was distracted, Lacera reached for her weapon and pulled it from her holster with blinding speed. 

Now, with her blaster in hand, she began firing bursts of focused shots at the buzzing aero-drones above. It didn’t take long for her expert marksmanship to clear the sky of enemies and she was easily able to keep it that way until the two of them reached the stairwell.

As they approached, they could make out the sound of explosions echoing from high above them as the Gold Bolts fought the node guards. All the forces that had been stationed at the bottom of the stairwell must have either gone after the Gold Bolts above or had run out to face them or Torque, because there was no resistance at the stairway entrance.

As Alister pulled up on his hoverboots' thrusters and let Lacera down gently, his brow creased in thought. He had been looking away at the time and Lacera's sleight-of-hand was second to none, but at such a close distance he couldn't possibly have missed it. It had looked to him as if Lacera had drawn her pistol from a compartment in her breastplate.

"Come on Grunt, we have to get moving," said Lacera as she checked the stairwell for threats. 

She turned back to find Alister not paying attention, with signs of deep thought written on his face.

The white-furred Lombax mused that it made sense, tactically, to store weapons around the chest area. It was easy to reach and would partly explain how Lacera could pull her blaster from seemingly nowhere so quickly. Alister himself sometimes holstered grenades there just before entering a battle. 

What didn't make sense, however, was how Lacera was able to fit her blaster inside. There shouldn't have been enough room to keep it concealed. Unless of course, she was completely fla-.

Something struck Alister hard across his ankles and he felt his legs being swept out from under him. 

He fell to the floor with a thud and opened his mouth to shout in surprise, but before he could make a noise, the still smoking barrel of a blaster pistol was stuffed inside it. 

His initial reaction was to panic as the hot metal of the gun burned the inside of his mouth, but he immediately froze when he looked up into the pair of angrily burning eyes that were glaring down at him.

"Finish that thought, Grunt..." hissed Lacera coldly, "and I'll blast it out the back of your head."

Alister had no idea what she was talking about. The suddenness of her threat had completely wiped his mind of everything except thoughts of being shot, including any memories of recent events. 

All he knew for sure was what Lacera's eyes told him and they said that her threat was real. The only thing he could do was simply stare back into the two raging orbs with fear in his own and hope that he wouldn't be tasting plasma anytime soon.

Lacera held her gun steady and her finger on the trigger for a long few seconds until she was satisfied with the dumbfounded look of confusion in Alister's eyes. She yanked her weapon out of his mouth and began walking toward the stairwell again.

Alister sat up as she left and looked around in bewilderment. His thoughts were too jumbled and shaken to even try to piece together what had just happened. He just stayed sitting there in stunned silence.

"Get moving, Grunt!" Lacera yelled from the stairwell. 

Alister’s military training kicked in at the sound of a commanding officer's voice and he jumped to his feet, ready to follow his orders without hesitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dopplebanger - These are a weapon used in All 4 One. They are a lot like the decoy glove, except they are also equipped with offensive weapons, so they function dually as a portable turret as well.


	9. Can You Kill a Ghost

_ Alister caught up to the rest of the Tough Nuts just as they made it to the entrance ramp of the depot. Lacera was in the lead and everyone stopped when she did. _

_ Their leader then turned to Wraith and gave him a nod.  _

_ "You got it, Boss," he said with a salute before activating his wrist-mounted Swingshot. _

_ The black-furred Lombax aimed it up the side of the depot's wall and fired it with a twang of electrocable. It struck a spot just above a third story window and held fast. Wraith then retracted the cable and was swiftly raised to the third floor before vanishing through the window. _

Once inside, Wraith examined his new surroundings carefully. 

He was in a small room, likely used for storage space in the depot’s original design schematics. There was only one entrance besides the windows and that was bad for a soldier out alone. He needed to have multiple escape routes at any given time. 

Silently, he moved from the room and then headed down the hall. He used a glove-embedded camera, which was linked to his helmet's HUD, to peer around corners.

The next two rooms were clear, but the third one held a nasty surprise. Two guard robots with swords stood next to a medium sized turret in the middle of the floor. Had Wraith turned the corner without checking first, the turret would have blasted him away. 

Any other Tough Nut would have tossed in a grenade to get past the defenses, but Wraith was on covert status at the moment, so he had to keep his presence hidden for as long as possible.

This problem was easy enough to solve, though. Wraith carried a hologram projector with him which he often used as a static camo-cloak for when he was in a sniping position. 

Wraith set the cube-shaped object on the ground and it took a picture of the area in front of the doorway, before projecting a scaled copy of the image back over the entrance. Wraith then simply walked across the kill zone and yanked his projector back by its power cord once on the other side.

The two guards had noticed the movement of the projector when the hologram dissolved and one moved out to investigate, but Wraith was long gone by the time they peeked out of the doorway. 

He had to hurry though, he needed to get to a good position that could cover the first node before the Tough Nuts got there.

* * *

Wraith had passed many more static as well as actively patrolling defenses on his way through the Depot. 

One example of the latter was a slow moving turret on treads that was outfitted with a chain gun. It was patrolling in a simple search pattern through the halls. Wraith simply ignored it, however. Its firepower was devastating, but it was much too slow and poorly programmed to threaten him.

Finally, he’d come to his target destination, one where the floor he was on intersected the three-story high warehouse that contained the first node. Here he found several windows that overlooked the area. 

Any one of them would give him an excellent field of fire to eliminate any Gold Bolts that came for the first node, or to offer assistance to his allies doing the same.

Then, a soft, repetitive tapping sound alerted Wraith to a patrolling sentry robot further down the hall and just around the corner from where he stood. 

The black-furred Lombax simply waited in hiding for a short while, listening for the sounds of the sentry moving, or it stopping, or it turning. 

It soon became apparent to the experienced Depot sniper that this particular sentry was programmed to search sporadically without any sort of pre-designated patterns.

That was a problem. 

Wraith had to make sure that while he was holding his firing position over the first node, that nothing would creep up on him from behind. There was no way to guarantee that he wouldn't be found if he had a robot in his area with a random patrol-search protocol… except for one.

Wraith took his best guess at what the sentry's route would be and circled around ahead of it while remaining out of sight. 

Along this route, he found a random conference room with a large, overturned conference table which he quickly ducked behind. 

Wraith’s plan was to wait for the sentry to walk into the room, then, when it was close enough, he would jump out and hit it from behind with his wrench. His melee combat weapon had a special electrified stunner attachment for quick and quiet takedowns. If the sentry made any noise, it might alert other patrolling defenses, so it had to be executed stealthily.

After about a minute of waiting, the sentry finally walked up to the doorway. Wraith could hear the soft scrape of metal on metal as the sentry’s head turned side to side, allowing its sensors to scan the room for any hostiles.

The sentry was still just out of reach. If it detected him now, it would immediately engage, alerting nearby defenses before he could eliminate it. Wraith wasn’t worried though, his armor was equipped with very precise jamming arrays. 

Unlike standard arrays, that just blind sensors with a counter outpouring of information, Wraith's system sent back an almost equivalent output of whatever scanning waves hit him. This made his signature look extremely dense. Any inexperienced scanner operator, or low-grade defense sentry, would see him as nothing more than a Lombax sized rock or piece of debris.

The sentry stopped its scan, unable to detect any hostile presence, then it turned and kept walking down a different hall. 

Wraith grumbled in annoyance at the automaton’s random search program. Its AI code made decisions like whether or not to search a room as if flipping a coin, wasting precious minutes of his preparation time.

Once the sentry had moved on, Wraith quietly exited his room and prepared to repeat the process. His time was running short, however, as the Tough Nuts would be arriving at the first node soon, so he decided to change his tactic.

This time he went to the opposite end of the hallway that the sentry was inspecting and waited for it to enter a random room. 

While the sentry was searching this room, Wraith set up his holo-projector again. This time the projected image was of a simple wall and was placed as to cover the hallway's intersection. The stealthy Lombax then circled back around to the opposite end of the same hallway. 

Once there, he set up a Vegetable Slicer. 

This was military slang for a trap that was made from super thin, but very strong wires in crisscrossing patterns. Wraith loosely attached these deadly threads to the ceiling and walls with stick-gel until they made a fine web.

After finding a weak point in the old wall, he carefully broke it open just enough to loop the strands' ends through it, before walking around and wrapping the thread around a super-dense, metallic hook. 

Then he waited once more.

At this point, the sentry had finished its search to the end of the hallway and had come to a halt at the holographic wall. 

The one good thing about random search programs, Wraith noted, was that they didn’t really keep track of their search area, so they weren't suspicious of any new walls randomly appearing. The sentry simply turned around and began heading back down the hallway once more.

Wraith waited patiently as it crossed the hall and checked rooms. It even searched some of the ones that it had already been too. 

Finally, it walked into the threads. 

The super thin wire was too small to be seen by the sentry’s cheaply produced ocular sensors, but they were strong enough to do their job.

Wraith felt a gentle tug from the hook handle, telling him his target was caught and he immediately leapt backward, pulling with all his strength. The threads went taught as he strained against the hook, but only for a second, before the thread went slack again. Wraith stopped himself from falling to the ground as the sound of metal clattering to the floor rang from outside of the room. 

The robotic sentry's head then rolled across the doorway, causing Wraith to grin.

* * *

Wraith took careful aim down his Plasma Striker's scope. He had scouted out several sniping positions on his side of the warehouse and was now sitting in one while most of the other Tough Nuts were engaging the node defenses below. 

He didn't bother shooting any of the combat-bots, though. A single shot was a precious thing to a sniper, as shooting would reveal his hidden position to his enemies. His fellow Tough Nuts could handle the defenses easily, so instead, he focused on the group of Lombaxes approaching the first node from the other side of the warehouse.

A special attachment that he'd finally talked himself into spending his hard-earned bolts on an AI to identify weak points in armor and shields. His crosshairs sat in the middle of a large, red dot that was highlighting the neck of a tan-furred Lombax who was hiding behind cover. 

Still though, Wraith waited.

He repeatedly checked back and forth between his team and the enemy to keep an eye on them both. The Gold Bolts had stalled at the entrance, but the Tough Nuts had almost made it to the node platform. Wraith searched eagerly, but, to his disappointment, he could find no trace of his real prey.

Then, just as Lacera and Alister were about to breach the node platform, the sound of a sniper round rang out across the warehouse. Wraith reflexively traced the shot’s origin back from the bright trail of light that had been captured on his visor. This program that was installed on his helmet’s computer was an anti-sniper tool. It recorded the trajectory of any high energy round it saw.

Wraith lowered his crosshairs over the enemy sniper, who was perched on the other side of the third floor, directly opposite of his position. 

He was disgusted by them. 

First of all, it was a rookie mistake to fire first when there was an enemy sniper that was unaccounted for. This either meant that the opposing sniper was either exceedingly green or completely unaware of Wraith’s reputation as the Tough Nut’s overwatch. He couldn’t decide which was worse.

Secondly, there was the fact that this pathetic excuse for a sniper had fired the moment Alister breached the platform’s surface. 

Off course, their orders were probably to keep the other team from taking the node, but any Military Student who'd taken a basic objective-capture strategy class would know to wait for the enemy to try and activate the panel. It would have given his team more time to move up before revealing himself, and would have guaranteed a clean kill-shot.

However, it was the third and most important thing that made Wraith ashamed to call his opponent a sniper. His enemy counterpart had committed a sin against the gospel of sniping, 'Never stay in the same location after taking a shot'.

The black-furred Lombax lined up his crosshairs squarely on his enemy's most critical point, right between where their helmet met their chestplate, and grinned as he pulled the trigger. 

A beam of energy instantaneously connected his gun to his target for a moment in time. Molten armor and blood splattered the windows as the enemy Lombax tumbled backward before a corona of blue light quickly filled the window frame and the body disappeared in a bright flash before it even hit the ground.

Wraith then activated his comm. link, "I'm moving, Boss," he said over the team frequency.

He didn't bother to wait for a confirmation reply before he was on the move again. 

Quickly, he scrambled up a crumbling wall to get to another vantage point and about a minute later he stood at another of his scouted spots that had a view of both the first node and the location he had just vacated. 

Things were looking dicy down below. Wraith watched as Alister fought off a horde of oncoming robots while Lacera tried to take control of the node. From his vantage point he could see that the Gold Bolts had pulled back, likely already heading for the second node, after having seen Lacera reach the first one.

Knowing his leader, Wraith was sure that she wouldn’t back down off that pedestal until the node was hers, so he lined up his crosshairs and waited to see if Alister could handle the group on his own. From the way things were going, however, it looked like he’d have to intervene.

Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the third floor of the office spaces and rubble fell down the side of the warehouse. Wraith quickly turned his scope to his previous location, where a cloud of smoke had formed. 

As was customary, he had put a laser tripwire mine at his old sniping position, in case someone traced his shot like he’d done to the now-eliminated Gold Bolt and came to take him out on foot. 

Wraith’s mind cycled through the possibilities. The first thing that came to mind was that a defense drone had tripped it, but he had made sure that the area was clear, so that wasn’t very likely. He had done a headcount and knew that three of the remaining four Gold Bolts had been down on the Warehouse floor a second ago and couldn’t have made it up here.

Then it dawned on him that the reason he had yet to spot Kor in the battle below was that his red-armored quarry was, in fact, hunting him as well.

It felt as if ice water had been poured down Wraith's back as the knowledge sank in of how quickly Kor had been on his position from the time he’d taken his first shot. 

In truth, Wraith had been hoping that Kor would come looking for him. His, and everyone else's, primary goal was to defeat the Red Reaper, but it had taken ‘him’ nearly ten minutes just to navigate to that spot undetected. Had there been even a moment's hesitation when he'd moved, Kor may very well have spotted him switching vantage points.

Wraith gulped unconsciously, "That's why I'm called Wraith," he whispered under his breath, as much to reassure himself, as to insult his opponent who had found his old nest empty, save for the explosive.

Wraith scanned the area with his scope, desperately hoping that Kor would show some kind of hint to his presence, but there was none. 

Wraith growled his displeasure. Then, in an instant of recollection, he swung his weapon back around to where his team was trying to capture the first node.

His eyes grew wide as he watched a large robot raise a hammer high over his leader's head. In less than a second, Wraith calmed his breathing and slowed his heart rate, before lining up his crosshairs on the robot's head and squeezing the trigger, blasting it clean off of the robot's shoulders.

In the same breath, Wraith then emptied the remainder of his power cell into the charging mass of enemies that stood behind it. Removing heads mostly, but also striking power units and central joint housings with expert precision.

Hardly had the last bot hit the floor before the black-furred Lombax was spinning around and ducking back under the hole in the wall that he'd been shooting from.

He began moving through the hallway as quickly as he dared, "I'm moving again, Boss," he said in a hushed tone over the comm. link. "Gonna be a bit this time," he added, knowing that Kor was likely right on his tail, but he didn’t mention that, knowing that such a warning would send every listening Tough Nut to his position before he’d had his turn.

_ An animatronic voice played over speakers throughout the depot, "The Tough Nuts have captured node number one," it said informatively. _

But Wraith didn't have time to feel pride for his team's accomplishment, as his fears were confirmed just a few seconds later. 

Another explosion rang out across the third floor, originating from his most previous hiding spot. This explosion was very close, meaning that Kor was just a breath away and was on his trail much quicker than last time.

To Wraith, it was beginning to feel like a noose was being wrapped around his neck. He almost laughed out loud at the feeling. He was supposed to be the 'Wraith' of the battlefield, but here he was being chased by an unseen enemy.

His comm. link crackled to life as he came to a halt around a corner, "Wraith, we're moving on to the second node from the Gold Bolts' side," came Lacera's voice.

Wraith took a long breath to calm down and focus his thoughts before replying, "Understood," he answered simply and cut the comm. 

He then spoke out loud, "OK," he said, as he reloaded his weapon and turned to face the way that he had just come from. "Let's do this." 

Wraith knew that he would have to move even more carefully through this area than he would normally. He was hunting Kor, after all, and his opponent was known for his senses and close-quarters skills. 

But, so was he, in a sense. All Wraith needed to do was get the drop on his opponent, for it was a tried and tested fact that if he got the first strike, he'd win.

Wraith gave himself one last mental shaking before gripping his weapon tightly and moving back around the corner to counter-pursue... but there was something waiting for him on the other side. 

The moment the unfortunate overwatch specialist had spun around the corner, he found himself staring eye-to-eye with another sentry-bot, one that was just out of wrench-range. 

Wraith groaned briefly at the ill timing of the encounter, before the robot raised its weapon mechanically.

In the blink of an eye, Wraith was moving again. The sentrybot chased after him and fired rounds of plasma after his tail, but it was unable to score a hit. Wraith wasn't running from the sentry because he couldn't beat it, he was running because Kor was probably heading for the sounds of gunfire right now and that would mean getting discovered. 

The robot kept firing at Wraith as he turned another corner and ran out a window, his gravity boots activating automatically as he stepped onto the metallic surface of an air duct attached to the depot's outside wall.

Wraith could still hear the ringing shots of the guardbot as he made his way to the second floor, but a moment later, they were suddenly silenced. A fresh shiver ran through Wraith's spine as he then ran into the window of the next floor down.

He had kept the thing alive to use as a warning alarm, and he got the alert loud and clear.

* * *

Kor walked away from the two halves of the robot sentry that he'd just eliminated and studied the silver glint from the air duct through the window. He then reached up and tapped the side of his helmet. 

A moment later, a split appeared that ran down the middle of the lower half of his mask. The two halves slid back to reveal his nose and jawline.

Kor sniffed the air carefully for a short while before resealing his breathing apparatus. He knew that he wasn't allowed to take his mask off for long, but it was enough for him to be sure that his prey had come through this hall. 

He took another look at the silver air duct in the window and shook his head, ' _ Gravity Boots' _ , he thought. 

He remembered having looked at a pair while shopping for new weaponry in The Armory. They hadn't been to his liking.

Of all the enemies Kor had faced during his battles, he found that he hated snipers most of all. He felt their tactics were cowardly and had made a focused effort of taking them down first to ensure that he could enjoy eliminating the rest of his enemies without the worry of an unseen threat.

Kor reached up and pulled off one of the grenades that were magnetically attached to his armor. He then activated it and tossed it across the floor. The small explosive rolled along the cracks of the crumbling floor until it came to a stop.

* * *

The explosion ripped away the ceiling above like it was made of cardboard and Wraith was thrown to the ground while his weapon was knocked from his grip. 

Large chunks of building material began to fall around him, and among the dropping debris was a red armored figure that landed with a heavy thud. 

Wraith immediately grabbed his sidearm and blasted into the dust cloud where he'd seen red, causing the figure to move for cover.

Knowing the situation was bad, Wraith scrambled to retrieve his beloved Plasma Striker and activated his hoverboots just as he laid hand to handle. He then sped off down the hallway just before Kor's Malleus Omniwrench smashed into the floor where he'd just vacated. 

He hadn't even seen where it had come from and he fought to calm his breathing as he felt himself barely escape the imaginary noose just as it was about to strangle the life from him.

* * *

Kor's angry growl rumbled through his helmet's breathing system as he watched his prey speed off on twin trails of flame. 

He’d also looked at a pair of hoverboots in the Military Field's weapon shops, but hadn't thought them necessary for their price, considering he had yet to find an adversary that could match his speed, or see him coming soon enough to try. 

Kor pulled his wrench from the ground before throwing it back over his shoulder. He took a moment to listen with irritation as the sound of his target faded before he took off after him.

He then tracked the burnt streaks on the floor all the way down another flight of stairs and finally through a large door. 

The armored Lombax ran through it impatiently, but stopped once he found himself in a large side warehouse. This room contained a couple of defense-bots, but they didn't warrant his attention at the moment. What did draw his focus, however, was the towering, beetle-like tank at the far end of the room that slowly began turning its large cannon to bear on him.

It didn’t take more than a second for Kor to decide to leave. Not that he was worried, but because he didn't have time to play with the game's defenses right now. 

Before he could, however, there was an unusual squelching noise that emanated from behind him. He turned back around to face the door he’d just come through and found that his path had been blocked by a large cube of what looked like green jello.

Standing just on the other side of the gelatinous cube, he could make out the figure of the Lombax he'd been pursuing. They were smiling at him while waving a Gelanator in their hand. 

Wraith's voice came through the gel muffled, but coherent, "I wouldn't stand there if I were you," he warned through the gel, before activating his hoverboots again and tearing off back down the corridor.

Kor squinted angrily inside his helmet, then turned to see green targeting lasers lining up on his armor as the smaller androids took aim at him. In the meantime, the Beat-All had gotten its main weapon now into position to fire and was charging for a shot. 

With sudden realization and dread, Kor spun back around once more and heaved his heavy wrench into the gel, but all it did was get stuck. He didn’t hesitate to abandon it before turning one last time and sprinting directly at the Beat-All as fast as he could. Shots pinged off his armor as he ran, but they were small and inconsequential compared to what was coming.

The Beat-All opened fire and Kor dodged the shot by slamming flat to the ground. The burning tank round roared across his back, but that wasn’t what he’d been worried about. Since the shot couldn’t hit its mark, it meant that it would continue on to hit where he had been standing previously. 

Kor scrambled to get back on his feet and continued moving towards the Beat-All as the massive cannon blast hit the doorway full of gelatonium, igniting the green material that was used galaxy wide as a high energy fuel source.

The two explosions combined and vaporized the walls around it, sending a massive shockwave ripping through the warehouse as well as racing down the narrow corridor on the other side, filling both with superheated gas. 

The entire section of the Depot shook as more walls and floors near the blast's epicenter began to crumble and break. Debris and rocks shifted rapidly causing a landslide of rubble.

* * *

Wraith felt the quaking of the building as the heat of the explosion chased him down the corridor. He kept ahead of it and made it out to safety before pulling up on his hoverboots when the noise finally stopped. He then turned back to face the pile of rubble that had filled the hall he'd just come down and grinned in self-satisfaction.

After things had settled, he began to carefully circle around the area in search of another entrance into the warehouse he'd left Kor in, he needed to make sure the job was finished. 

After a few minutes of careful navigation, Wraith then found another way into the warehouse on the opposite side. The doorway was caved-in with only a few cracks of light shining through, but that was enough for him. 

Not wanting to leave anything up to chance, he drew his trusty Plasma Striker and moved toward one of the small crevices in the rubble to try and get a clear shot at anything left alive inside.

The large room was still full of dust and visibility was poor. Most of the ceiling had collapsed and it was now mostly filled with a mountain of shattered concrete. Wraith scanned the area carefully with his scope, looking for any trace of movement, but he could find nothing. Still, he waited.

As the seconds ticked on, more of the room was slowly revealed itself as the dust settled. Eventually, the powdery curtain pulled back enough to reveal the shattered remains of a Beat-All. However, it had not been destroyed in the explosion.

The wall Wraith was aiming through then exploded toward him, yielding under the impact of a great force. The Tough Nut’s sniper was caught off guard and knocked backwards, along with hundreds of pounds broken rock and debris. 

However, his reflexes were well trained and he quickly got back on his feet, avoiding most of the rubble, and turned to face the source of the violence, but froze in place when his eyes settled on the form of a red armored Lombax silhouetted in the doorway’s collapsed remains.

The two opponents stood staring at one another for a long two seconds. 

It was Wraith who made the first move as he tried to bring up his Plasma Striker. However, in the same amount of time it took him to raise his weapon, Kor had closed the gap between them and swung down with his hammer-like wrench. 

The heavy weapon struck Wraith's Plasma Striker, smashing it to uselessness, before continuing on to crush Wraith's arm as well, snapping the bones inside like they were twigs.

Wraith bit back a shout of pain as he activated his hoverboots, blasting himself backwards with his one arm dangling uselessly at his side. 

However, the emergency maneuver was ill-controlled, and he ended up losing his balance. He hit the floor before scraping along a few extra meters on his armored back.

The injured Lombax looked back up at his opponent and contemplated the situation he was in. Wraith's specialty was long range, where he would usually strike down enemies from far away and never even be seen. Close combat was definitely not his forte. However, that didn't mean he was completely helpless.

With his one good arm, Wraith pulled out and activated his Shock Ravager. The electric whip weapon sparked to life as each of the small orbs attached to its handle glowed and the conducting spike at its tip energized. 

When the wielder of a Shock Ravager swung it at an enemy, the orbs flew outward, linked together with an energy chain, and would strike an opponent with a vicious amount of electricity.

"You're fast," said Wrath provokingly. "But let's see if you're faster than lightning."

Kor tilted his head slightly as he recognized the weapon in his opponent's hand, "I'm not very fond of electric weapons," he replied in his usual, mechanically-tinged voice.

Wraith smiled cruelly, "I can't begin to tell you how ex-‘static’ I am to hear that," he laughed.

Wraith then swung his weapon with all he had and watched, in adrenaline-fueled slow motion, as the electric chain of energy orbs reached across the space separating him from his enemy. 

Kor stepped back out of reflex, but there was no way to dodge the strike in time. Instead, he moved his free hand up to block it and caught the conducting spike at the tip of the chain.

Electric voltage poured into Kor's armor and his armored hand began to glow from the heat of the energy passing through it. 

Blue lines of power jumped from his body and lit up the walls with dark shadows. Wraith watched gleefully as his opponent was electrocuted inside their own armor. 

After several long seconds, however, the black-furred Lombax realized something was wrong.

Kor was still holding firmly onto the whip's lead as electricity continued to pour into his armor. He continued doing it for almost a minute solid, preventing Wraith from pulling it back, until finally, the Shock Ravager's power cell was drained. 

The energy chain linking the power orbs dissipated and the small spheres fell to the ground. But, Kor remained where he stood as smoke drifted off of his body and the light glow of his gauntlet, still holding the conducting spike in its grasp, faded.

Wraith stood calmly in front of Kor without a hint of emotion in his expression, "You learned a new trick," he noted flatly.

Kor crushed the conducting spike in his hand before dropping its broken pieces to the ground, "A previous encounter has shown me that I need ‘conduct’ myself better in these kinds of situations," he explained. "Are you surprised?"

Wraith smiled somberly, "I'm a little shocked."

Barely had the words left Wraith's lips before Kor made his move. In a heartbeat, the metal-encased Lombax had appeared just inches in front of his opponent. This time, Kor slammed the head of his wrench straight into Wraith's chest. 

The unfortunate sniper felt his rib cage collapse as the light scout-class armor he wore proved itself to be about as effective as paper-mâché against the colossal force of Kor's Omniwrench. 

The impact then sent him flying across the floor of the hallway, before coming crashing to a halt against a wall.

Before the momentum of the strike had even worn off, Wraith felt a heavy weight squeeze down tightly on his throat. He opened his eyes to find the two prongs of Kor's wrench buried in the floor on either side of his neck. 

He was pinned down, but Wraith knew that he couldn't have moved even if he wasn't. He could feel the shards of bone prodding and puncturing his lungs internally. 

Recognizing his situation, Wraith looked up at his attacker and, staring straight down into his eyes, was another pair of eyes. These ones were red, emotionless, and made of glass.

"You are finished," Kor stated quietly. 

There appeared to be no sign of insult or humor in his voice, though it was always hard to tell. It was simply a fact being spoken aloud.

Wraith's comm. link crackled to life at that moment, "Wraith?!" demanded Lacera's voice over the comm. "We're pinned down at the second node, the Gold Bolts are about to capture it! Where are you?!"

Wraith coughed causing blood to splatter across his visor and the metal weapon that was pushing down on his throat, "Sorry, Boss," he answered weakly through a crushed windpipe. "I don't think I can make it."

At that, Kor squeezed the handle on his Malleus wrench's hilt. 

In the same instant, Wraith was wrapped in bright, blue light, before he disappeared, an instant before the two massive jaws of the Malleus wrench slammed shut, leaving only a large gouge in the stone floor behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Upgrade - The special attachment for his weapon that Wraith talks about is what happens when you fully upgrade the Plasma Striker in Up Your Arsenal. It showed the player small red dots on the enemies through its scope that would do bonus damage if hit.


	10. Not Enough Torque

_ Torque nodded his armored head, "I assure you, no mechanical creature will outperform me on the battlefield. Besides, I do believe it is time for my solo." _

_ Lacera nodded her consent and turned to Alister, "The moment Torque moves, we move," she explained with a commanding tone. "We're going to head straight for the node. No stopping and no going back. Anything that's too slow to chase us we leave in our dust and only bother to kill what's too dangerous to leave alive. Got it?" _

_ Alister nodded his understanding and prepared himself. Lacera did the same and so did Torque. When everyone was ready, Lacera gave a nod and Torque squeezed hard on the multi-triggered handle of his weapon. _

_ Almost every barrel on The Dirge flashed into life, sending projectile rounds, mortar shells, energy beams, plasma, and missiles screaming towards their enemies.  _

Torque listened to the carol of his instrument with the practiced ear of a musician. He could hear every variance in the soft thrum of his laser cannon's discharge as if it were the movements of a bow over the strings of a cello. He heard each crack of a projectile as if it were the sharp beat of a snare drum. He heard the rhythmic twang of the plasma blasts as if they were the strumming of a guitar. The howitzers' booms echoed like the beating of a large bass drum and the screech of the rocket fire topped off the mix with their own particular nuance. 

The self-propelled explosives started out sharp and violent the instant they were activated, then they faded softly as they flew further away, before finally, they exploded in a brilliant display of power and beauty.

Torque watched with satisfaction as the enemies before him were brought low by the brilliance of his performance. The tiny and numerous guard-bots milled about the warehouse floor as hundreds of projectiles struck their ranks. It was as if they were caught in a hail of falling stars. 

At every point of contact, a sharp ring of a cymbal would play back in his ear and add to his symphony of destruction.

Torque’s music was then complimented by his co-performers. 

As the heavy movements of the Beat-Alls and the guardbot colossus shook the ground, Torque heard the deep rumble of the Double Bass fill the room. The return gunfire and turret blasts struck his shield all around. The ripples of energy they created, with their wide range of sounds depending on the size and power of the different munitions, were like the playing of a piano.

Torque moved forward through the onslaught and was just getting into the groove of his performance when he noticed something to his side. It had already been several minutes since Lacera and Alister had split from him, but to Torque, it had felt like a brief few seconds. Now, however, his two teammates were surrounded by enemy robots.

The massive, armored Lombax groaned his displeasure at the interruption of his solo performance and quickly turned The Dirge toward the distant mass of enemies, before zooming in on them with his HUD targeter. 

His NID rapidly plotted out target points that would do max damage to the guard-bots and not harm his allies. As each target was painted on his visor, Torque expertly aimed his weapon and put rounds of anti-personnel fire down range, as well as throwing a few howitzers into the mix.

A few short seconds later, Lacera was waving to him in thanks for the assistance. Torque was always happy to be of service to his leader, but he would be lying if he didn't admit to being irked at the distraction. 

He didn't have time to dwell, however. Just as he was about to turn back to his own stage, a fireball from a Beat-All cannon struck him straight on.

Torque felt the blast like a gong being struck nearby. The force resonated through his armor and the heat could be felt even through his thick plates. 

It wasn't enough to stop him, though. The lombax-tank that was Torque simply walked straight out of the flames as if nothing had happened, steam hissing off his armor as it rapidly cooled in the air. 

With that single hit, Torque was once again completely immersed in his performance.

He was alone now. 

Up to this point, Torque had been playing for an audience, his leader and his teammates. It was for them that he gloriously struck down the opposition and for them that he played with thoughts of ammo conservation and friendly fire in mind.

Now, however, he only played for the music. All ideas of restraint were gone and all he could see were his fellow performers before him, all he could hear was the grand melody of conflict. 

Turrets and troops fell before him like dominoes… well, dominoes that were being knocked down by heavy weapons fire. 

Every so often the large cannon of the Colossus would reach a full charge and fire again. Torque activated his heavy shield each time and withstood the blast.

Absorbing that much explosive force was bad for his shield, but Torque wanted to face the mightiest of his opponents at a much closer range than this. Until then, he contented himself with shredding the weaker foes and annihilating the Beat-Alls. 

He proceeded to destroy, ignite, and detonate, until it all became a surreal blur of wondrous sound and melody.

* * *

All of the Beat-Alls that had been guarding the warehouse were now lying about the floor in flames, or pieces, or both, while most of the guard battalion had now either been destroyed or run away. 

Torque wasn't surprised that even their cheap processors could realize their inferiority to his might and that they were a mere nuisance to his display. He did, however, find it odd that so many of them seemed to run away as if in fear… or maybe they were choosing to go after something else. 

It wasn't important though, because he had finally come to the climax of his show.

Towering over him just a few meters away was the colossus. Torque had taken to shooting at it a few times when his shield integrity reached critical levels. He had been careful to only damage the giant's gun, though. This way he was still guaranteed to have the brilliant finale that was deserved of such a wondrous performance.

With its ranged weapon destroyed, the monstrous machine raised its gargantuan chainsaw-sword high above its head. Massive gears turned inside the weapon as its motor revved and the jagged teeth sticking out along its length began to rip through the air. The whole thing then came swinging down, whirring, shrieking, and aimed directly at Torque.

Even Torque's armor would be pulp if such a large weight were to hit him, let alone one with sawing teeth. He didn't flinch a muscle, though. The heavily armored Lombax stood firm and tilted The Dirge upward before sending a stream of heavy rounds into the tip of the sword. 

Even by using the physical laws of levers to his benefit, Torque was only able to divert the weapon away by just a fraction. But, it was enough. The large mass of metal slammed into the ground less than a foot away from where he stood. 

The ground beneath his feet shook as the weight and the churning teeth of the weapon ripped it apart, driving chunks of floor and reinforcement material everywhere. The weapon sank nearly three feet down as it continued to chew its way deeper.

Before the giant robot could regain control of its weapon, Torque poured more fire into his opponent. He aimed for the knee of the closest leg and focused on it with great intensity until he had cut through it with raw destructive force. 

The colossus slowly fell over like a great tree being toppled, but it managed to prevent itself from falling flat by throwing out its shattered cannon arm and catching itself.

Torque now had a clear shot at the large reactor in giant's chest. If he could destroy the source of his opponent’s power, it would mean ending the fight with a single ion-core detonation. It would also mean having the greatest of explosions to cap off the greatest of performances. 

Shells were sent flying from The Dirge, before slamming into the robot’s chest. Soon cracks began to form, snaking along the large glowing window that housed the power core, but it held firm and hadn’t broken by the time the colossus had raised its weapon again.

Using its now useless cannon arm to hold itself up, the gargantuan metal beast once again held its chainsaw weapon high in the air, poised to swing it down at its enemy. 

Torque responded by simply shooting out the elbow in the robot's cannon arm. 

The Colossus's already heavily damaged arm gave way in seconds and, with its other arm pointing straight up into the air, it had nothing left to support itself with. 

Torque turned his large body and ran as fast as he could while his colossal enemy slipped sideways and fell, landing on its back with a ground shaking thud.

Torque stopped running when he was clear of the felling zone and turned back to face his opponent once more. The robot was still holding its massive sword up over its head, so Torque aimed at the hilt of the large sword and fired a grappling harpoon from The Dirge. 

A loud metallic twang rang out across the floor as the trillium-tipped spear bit deep into the metal of the weapon and held fast.

Torque braced himself, with tiny, stabilizing spikes shooting out from his armored boots for added support. Then, he activated the winch on his weapon and began the arduous tug-of-war with a creature nearly a fifty times his size and at least twice his weight... on ice cream and cake day in the Art Field. 

Despite his best efforts though, the robotic leviathan would not yield. 

Seeing that their stalemate had no signs of shifting on its own, Torque continued to pull, but he also started to blast his opponent's remaining elbow with laser fire, turning the joint box that held the complicated mechanisms of a robotic joint into a glowing ball of overheating metal.

There was a very loud groan of gears and pistons bending and giving way as the increased heat softened them. With one final ‘snap’, something from inside the joint box shattered, and most of the robot's resistance faded. 

Torque grinned happily as he pulled even harder, redoubling his effort for one final sprint. 

Overwhelmed, the chainsaw-sword was forced downward and straight into its wielder's chest.

The already weakened armor plating of the colossus's reactor core was obliterated on contact with the violently gnashing teeth of the chainsaw-sword. An instant later a glowing blue fire gushed from the gaping hole in the giant's chest like a geyser of raw energy. Parts of the robot began to turn red and melt as they were superheated from the inside. Then, the power core finally went critical and exploded.

Torque's visual receptors automatically shut off as he was engulfed in fire and plasma. Inside his armored shell, he listened intently to the rush of superheated gas blazing around his shielded body. 

The knowledge that a mere few inches of high-density material were all that stood between him and being flashed cooked into ash made the experience even more thrilling.

It was all over in seconds. 

Suddenly, all Torque could hear was silence. He reached up with one hand and tapped a control switch on the side of his helmet. The armored mask over his face split apart and his helmet folded down into his armor, allowing him to take in the atmosphere with no interference. 

The large Lombax stood still for a long moment, simply absorbing the deafening quiet. The only thing that was left of his giant enemy was half of its head that had managed to not be completely melted into slag because it had been blasted straight up into the air. It had then come down with the force of a meteor and buried itself in the ground.

Torque walked up to the smoking pile of metal and studied it for a long few seconds before he started to walk up its smoldering side, easily able to get footing as the still-soft metal yielded willingly under his weight. 

A moment later he stood atop the remains and looked out over the desolate battlefield, once again listening to the silence. Nothing moved because nothing was left alive.

With great care, Torque laid The Dirge down at his feet. He then put one arm across his waist and bowed deeply to the nothingness. This had been the truest form of his art, a spectacle of sound and power with such magnitude and fervor that it rendered the very world around him utterly speechless.

Torque smiled sadly while still bowing. While he was happy for having delivered a show that was truly worthy of his talents, he was also sad that it was over. By its very nature, the feelings of such power are fleeting. They can only be truly experienced at the very apex of destruction, but are soon gone, leaving behind only the memory of its glory and the nothingness of desolation.

And now, the show was over...

...

...

...

...or was it?

Torque's ears perked as he picked up the soft sound of metal lightly tapping against rock. The noise was constant, but deep. Like the footsteps of something heavy beyond its weight alone. The noise stopped just in front of the still bowing Torque and was suddenly replaced by an echoing, repeated, metallic clang.

Torque's mind raced at this intrusion into his performance. The show was supposed to be over, but yet something was still making noise. That meant something besides him was still alive and that meant his performance was not over.

' _ No… the performance is over.' _ , he thought to himself. This was something else...

_ 'Clapping!' _ , he realized as he recognized the sound. Yes… this was the start of something new. This… was an encore.

Torque raised his head and stood straight to address his audience… a single Lombax in crimson armor that was clapping for him. They stopped as he looked up and rested their hand on the handle of a massive Omniwrench at their side.

"Was the show to your liking?" asked Torque to the unexpected newcomer.

Kor bowed his head just a little in respect, "It was truly a spectacle to behold," he replied in his ever metallic voice.

Torque smiled politely at the compliment, "Would you be interested in joining me for a follow-up performance?" he asked next.

Kor's grip on his weapon's handle tightened with anticipation, "I was just imagining what it would be like to compare our skills," he answered. Eagerness was apparent in even his grainy, artificial tone. "I would be honored."

"Before that, however," Torque began with curiosity, "I would know why you chose to reveal yourself to me. Your steps are very quiet. I was only able to hear them after you had entered medium-range, but I take it that you could have made it to the base of this podium without even my practiced ears knowing."

"You give yourself too little credit," replied Kor honestly. "I was not trying to let them be heard before I applauded my respect."

Torque nodded in thanks to the compliment, "Why then, did you chose to reveal yourself at all?" he continued. "From your own words, you surely don't underestimate my ability to such a degree that you think me in need of a handicap?"

Kor shook his head, "Of course not," he assured Torque earnestly. "It is out of respect. You are clearly a master of destruction who chooses to face their opponents head-on while standing in the light for all to see. I fear I have fought too many battles in the shadows as of late. For someone of your caliber, I wish to join you on your own stage."

A smile split across Torque’s face "Admirable," he said, nodding slowly in approval before setting his face into a serious expression, "But... foolish. No enemy has come at me head on and has even been able to get within throwing distance, let alone defeat me. You have lost your only chance at victory."

Kor scoffed humorously through his helmet, "Now who is underestimating whom?" he retorted good-naturedly as he swept his Malleus wrench out to his side in preparation to charge. "Besides, I will reach arm's length before you can even rearm yourself," he added with a nod to the massive weapon that Torque had set off to his side.

Torque grinned broadly and a wild glint shone from his eyes, "Let us find out then. Will you survive to bask in the silence or will you instead be the one who is silenced?"

Kor charged forward like he'd been shot out of a cannon. He closed the distance to the base of the colossus's remains in the same amount of time it took Torque's helmet to unfold and reseal. He was moving up the mound of charred metal before Torque had even made a move for his gun. 

Torque's eyes widened in surprise at his opponent's speed as Kor's wrench whistled through the air. It was swung on a precise, arcing path towards Torque's chest and it struck his armor with an ear-ringing clang.

Armored plates bent and sparks flashed as circuitry was pulverized in the chest plate of the massive super-heavy armored suit. Torque felt the strike resonate through his body. His very bones became the conductors of the sounds of power that Kor's weapon represented. His ears rang and his chest shouted in pain and then… it stopped.

Kor stood with his unstoppable wrench having been stopped only a few centimeters deep into Torque's thick armored body. He looked up at his enemy, who, encased in their own armor, was nearly twice his height. Only now did Kor realize the true difference in their size.

Torque laughed wickedly through the speakers of his helmet, "That tickles!!!" he roared maniacally.

With surprisingly swift speed, Torque reached up and closed one enormous, armored fist around Kor's head and lifted him bodily off his feet like a rag-doll. Torque's other arm was then quickly pulled back for a swing and it sparked with intense energy as the Magna Drivers in his knuckles reached full charge. 

The massive fist swung forward with the augmented strength of an already ridiculously strong Lombax and it struck Kor directly in the chest plate. His medium-class armor crumpled and he was sent flying back into the ground even faster than he’d come, leaving a dent in the floor as he impacted at the foot of the scrap heap.

Torque then grabbed Kor's wrench and pried the puny weapon from where it remained stuck in his armor, before throwing it away like it was a child's toy. "Still," shouted Torque from high above, "I see you weren't exaggerating about your speed," he admitted as he hefted his own weapon.

Kor lay unmoving in the small imprint that his body had made in the stone floor. His vision swam and he fought desperately to grasp what had just happened. No Lombax had been struck full on with his wrench and survived before. He began to wonder if he was even fighting a lombax at all and not some kind of monster in lombax-shaped armor.

Kor's eyes managed to refocus just in time for him to see the massive form of Torque leaping off the top of the Colossus’ remains and swinging what looked like The Dirge, except with two massive Omniwrench prongs sticking out of the front.

Kor rolled away as fast as he could and narrowly avoided the impact. He still felt the force, however, as The Dirge's Omniwrench attachment emitted compressor waves into the floor. 

Everything touching the ground within a five-foot radius was slammed with so much gravitational fluctuation energy that it compressed into a third of its size, causing a wide crater to form in the floor around the impact site of Torque's weapon.

Kor scrambled to his feet and immediately began moving away with all the speed he could muster on his still wobbly legs.

Torque watched him go and shook his head sadly, "Wrong move," he chided as he stepped out of the crater and aimed his weapon at Kor's back.

Kor felt the artillery shell hit him like he was being run over by a truck. It exploded, peeling away layers of armor, as it sent him flying across the floor. 

Torque then proceeded to stomp forward while spraying him with bullet fire. 

Kor got up and ran again as bullets ripped across the ground and his body. Several of the armor piercing rounds bit deeply into his limbs. The pain was excruciating, but his Nanotech was able to handle it for the moment.

Only now comprehending the true folly of his actions, the red armored Lombax ran for the ruined remains of a Beat-All that had been defeated earlier. If he could just reach it then he could take cover from the onslaught and form a new plan. 

Projectiles continued to crack around him as he ran for safety with all he had. It was then that he heard the familiar sound of rocket engines igniting.

Even in the storm of bullets which peppered his body, Kor spun around and pulled out his Castor pistol. He quickly found the missiles screaming towards him and aimed on instinct, before pulling the trigger of his gun and blasting them out of the sky with white-hot, precision plasma bolts.

Four missiles had been fired at him from Torque's weapon, but Kor only managed to blast two out of the sky when, to his surprise, they passed right over his head and struck the remains of the Beat-All he had been heading for. 

The missiles dug deep into the already shattered armored plates of the bug-tank and detonated inside its shell, completely decimating it and sending smoking shards of metal flying in all directions. Kor hit the ground as his only place of sanctuary vanished in the flames of destruction.

"That was a thank you for your kind words!" shouted Torque from behind him. "Had I been in a foul mood, I would have allowed you to reach it before doing so."

Kor stood up again and slowly turned to face Torque with his always expressionless mask, "You are still underestimating me," he replied with pain evident in his voice.

Torque shook his head, "Say that when there is no one left to hear it and then I'll believe you," he countered. He then raised his weapon and pointed it at Kor's heart as a low hum began to build in the air. "I have enjoyed this fleeting performance with you, but it is time to close the curtains."

Kor didn't try to run. There was no cover in reachable distance and even if there was, he now knew what the results of seeking it would be. The red-armored Lombax tilted his head to the side as small particles of compressed energy began to form around the second largest barrel on The Dirge and the power cable running from it began to glow brightly. 

As Kor watched the weapon charge he still couldn't believe it had come to this.

A beam of light instantly ripped across the space between them, with all the energy of an exploding sun. It struck Kor straight in his already damaged chest and he was immediately wrapped in blue light as the laser strike, which had vaporized an entire bunker like it was paper, flashed angrily through the air.

Torque listened to the soft hum of his laser cannon's discharge fluctuations like they were a bow gliding smoothly over the strings of a cello. The music was beautiful. He preferred to end his performances with a bang, but every so often it was nice to finish things off with a whisper, too. His thoughts began to drift towards whether Lacera would be angry at him for taking her prize away as his power cell drained.

The sound of the laser cannon finally died out and Torque was once again left to answer his curtain call. 

Only... there was still noise. 

At first, he didn't know what the sound was, or even what he was looking at for that matter. It looked like a Lombax, but it couldn’t be. It seemed to be a Lombax that was made of flames.

Upon closer inspection, Torque saw the form of Kor obscured beneath the fire, as if the armored Lombax was being cooked alive.

_ 'No, that's not it,' _ thought Torque. 

The flames weren't consuming his armor, they were coming from it. Torque recognized with horror the sight of a suit’s Inferno mode. The flames it was emitting had turned blue under the strain of absorbing his laser attack and he had mistaken them for teleportation energy.

This show was far from over. Torque set his feet once more and prepared for the onslaught to come. Until Kor's power cell died, the flame draped Lombax would be practically invulnerable.

Kor sprang forward like a comet and Torque opened up with everything he had, the thought of mercy or gentlemen's courtesy far from his mind. 

Missiles, bullets, plasma, and howitzer shells flashed and disappeared as they struck Kor's burning armor. Torque began to backstep as he cycled through his other munitions.

Acid hissed and quickly ate away the ground at Kor's feet, but the liquid that had found its target was vaporized before it even reached his armor. Concussion and flashbang blasts were useless as well. 

Torque had a little luck when he fired out all ten of his Mag-Nets. The entrapment devices wrapped around Kor's body with electronic links, but the power orbs that stabilized the connections were melted in seconds and Kor burst from the restraints like he was breaking through a cardboard box.

Some of the heavier rounds managed to slow him down, but Kor pressed through them, making his way ever closer to his opponent with his Impact Drivers glowing brightly in anticipation.

Suddenly, the torrent of gunfire just stopped. Torque hefted his weapon and squeezed various triggers, but The Dirge’s only response was to hiss loudly as steam billowed from several openings.

Kor was caught off guard by the sudden lack of incoming bullets, but he wasn’t one to hesitate. The inflamed Lombax dashed forward, ready to finish this fight up close and personal.

But, just as he was within range to utilize his gauntlet weapons, a blue liquid sprayed from the end of Torque's weapon. It struck Kor with the force of a fire hydrant and the armored Lombax was surprised to suddenly find that his movements were actually being hindered.

The liquid rapidly dropped the temperature of his armor the moment it made contact. This extreme cold counteracted the heat of his Inferno mode and caused major fluctuations in his defensive buffer. Ice began to form on Kor’s armor, but it was quickly melted again moments later as the energy regulator attempted to compensate, only to be regrown the second the power shifted.

Even with the cryogel slowing him down, however, Kor was still gaining on Torque.

Realizing this too, Torque took advantage of the power fluctuations in Kor's armor and fired a howitzer shell straight into his opponent's chest at point blank range. Most of the force was dissipated by Kor's Inferno barrier, but enough got through thanks to the cryogel’s interference to blast Kor backwards several meters.

Torque paused his attack, "Like it?" he asked with both elation and hints of relief in his voice. "A new friend of mine helped me install it, though I didn't think it would come in handy so soon. The only downside is that I need to cool off my weapon internally before using it, but it is proving its worth."

Kor growled angrily through his helmet. He charged his enemy once again and was once again half-frozen by a wash of cryogel, before being blasted backwards once more. 

Kor attempted this several more times with no change in outcome, while Torque was content to simply ward off his attacks. They were now playing a game to see which would run out first, Kor's fire or Torque's ice. 

Unfortunately for Kor, he could feel that it would probably be his. Inferno mode released so much energy at one time that the pressure and heat it created was enough to choke a person who didn't have a breathing apparatus on. Even with one, using Inferno mode was exhausting and power consuming. As it stood now, if Kor's power cell died, which it was mere seconds away from doing, he was guaranteed to lose this fight.

Desperately, Kor charged forward in one final attempt, however, just before Torque fired another heavy shell, he crouched low and braced himself. The shell struck and succeeded in driving him back again, but only a short distance.

Undaunted, Torque continued to pour on cryogel, increasing the stream pressure and unleashing shell after shell at close range.

Kor gritted his teeth through his helmet. Without the movement of his body being blasted backwards to dissipate the force, The armored Lomax took each round’s impact in its entirety and felt his very organs shudder under their strikes. He just hoped his efforts would be worth it.

Torque checked the ammo count on his visor, he had plenty of shells left and enough cryogel to last another minute at least. There was no way that Kor’s Inferno Mode could last that long and he just couldn’t see why his opponent would take these hits head on. In fact, he was having trouble seeing his opponent at all.

Torque’s focus had been so intense on his target that he hadn’t even noticed the growing cloud of vaporized cryogel that surrounded the two of them.

Having accomplished his goal, Kor leapt backwards and into the mist. His powercell died at that very moment and the bright light of his Inferno was extinguished, causing the red armored Lombax to disappear from sight.

Torque fired round after round blindly after the now vulnerable Kor, but saw no shadows of blue light. Having lost sight of his prey completely the large Lombax shoved the front end of his gun into the ground and fired a concussion blast straight down. The energy reverberated off the floor and blasted the smoke away in all directions, leaving a small circle of visibility in an otherwise opaque gas veil.

Torque still couldn’t see his opponent, but he could hear Kor running around just beyond his sight. He didn't fire blindly again though, instead, he prepared for the exact moment when his enemy would attack in order to counter it.

That moment came when a piece of rubble suddenly flew out from the smoke to distract Torque, but he didn't fall for it. A second later Kor appeared like a ghost from the mist, but Torque was fast enough to bring his weapon around. 

He poured everything he had into Kor's body. Torque's heart raced as he watched his bullets rip through his opponent like they were wearing soft plastic for armor. Flamethrower fire, plasma, and howitzer rounds followed next until Torque had completely lost sight of anything remotely resembling a Lombax.

For the first time in a long time, Torque's bullet supply ran dry as the spinning loader deep in The Dirge's belly clicked on empty. 

Torque fought to catch his breath as adrenaline pumped through his veins like never before. Even in the most epic of his performances he had never reached such a strange feeling of desperation and excitement. He would have to thank his enemy if they had been teleported away in time.

However, the feeling soon disappeared as something heavy landed on the top of Torque's backpack. He stood still for a few long seconds as the smoke cleared to reveal the remains of what appeared to be an inflatable decoy where Kor’s body should have been. 

Slowly, Torque began to tilt his head upward until he was looking straight into the red, glassy eyes of Kor's G-83 helmet. 

In an instant, Torque’s knuckles flashed with energy and he swung his right first up with all his strength, but his arm was suddenly stopped in mid-air as if having hit an invisible force-field.

Kor simply stood unflinching on Torque's back, looking down as he tilted his head curiously. Torque dropped his arm and swung up once more, but yet again his attack was halted in mid-swing. 

Again and again, he tried, but nothing changed until he realized why… The heavily armored Lombax had never tried to reach above his head in his full suit before and his shoulder panels and backpack docks were too heavily covered in plating to allow him to.

"Well... this is a tad embarrassing," noted Torque shamefully. 

_ ‘But it was OK,’ _ he thought. He had built in ways to attack enemies from right above him already. All he had to do was- 

Two crushed, auto-targeting laser turrets fell from the sky above Torque's head. The large Lombax stared down at them for a long moment as they lay useless on the floor.

Then, Torque turned his gaze back up to Kor, "Huh," was all he could think to say.

"It was an honor," said Kor with a slight bow of his head, confident that their fight was finished.

"It's not over yet," insisted Torque. "If you come down from there, then you're finished and if you try to attack any part of my actual body, I'll be able to reach you," he explained, raising his arms to their maximum height to emphasize that he could reach slightly above his head.

Kor tilted his head to the other side, "Tell me, is this where you store all of that powerful ammunition for your weapon?" he asked as he slapped the large metal backpack that he was sitting on.

"Yes, it is," answered Torque in annoyance. "And a lot of that stuff is very volatile. Don't go touching anything you don't know how to-" Kor reached backwards and out of Torque's sight. Torque was about to question what he was doing when he heard the sound of a demo charge timer initiating.

The red-armored Lombax looked back down at Torque, who could now hear the rhythmic ticking of the countdown timer echoing loudly in his ears from the inside of his storage pack. 

Kor bowed his head one last time, before suddenly kicking Torque in the face.

Torque recovered and reached upward for the leg, looking around dizzily in search of his enemy, but found no one. Kor had vanished in a fraction of a second under the cover of his disoriented state.

The large Lombax’s head rang as if it had been placed inside a bell. It was swirling not just from the impact of Kor’s boot, but also from the emotions that ran through him. 

He had failed. Not only in terms of his teammates and the CtD match, but also as a musician of the destructive arts. He had been bested by another.

All was silent now. All, save for the constant ticking of the demo charge as it counted away the seconds he had left to live. 

Yet again Torque was confronted with a strange sensation. He had witnessed explosions loud enough to blow out unprotected eardrums, he had destroyed enemies of incredible sizes and power, he had wielded the most deadly weapons allowable in the academy's Military Field (and some that technically weren't), all of them the pinnacle of destruction!

And yet… the soft, but sharp ticking that he heard now seemed to be the most powerful… and most beautiful, of them all… 

This was his finale.

* * *

Kor watched the explosion from a safe distance away. He had made it back to where his Malleus wrench had been thrown on the ground just as the massive fireball lit up the room. 

Kor nodded his head and then drove his large Wrench into the floor so that it was standing straight up, put his hands at his side, and bowed a full ninety degrees in salute to his honorable opponent.

After several long seconds, Kor stood up straight again and pulled his wrench out of the ground before throwing it over his shoulder and turning away, moving on to his next target.

The armored Lombax began walking toward the second node in the distance when he noticed the deafening silence, stopped and for the first time, he admired the quiet serenity after a battle.

He then turned back to the still burning crater in the distance that had once been his enemy, "You underestimated me."


	11. Fight for the Second Node

Lacera and Alister made it to the top of the stairs leading to the second node without much trouble. There were several turret positions at the tops of various flights along the way, but they had all been abandoned and were left harmless. 

Now, as the two Tough Nuts crested the node alcove, they could hear the sounds of fighting.

Lacera peeked out from the opening in the floor and saw two Gold Bolt team members fighting off about a dozen guard-bots. Many more robots were lying destroyed and broken around them in a large area, intermingled amongst defensive concrete barriers. 

The nearest Gold Bolt was decked in blue armor and was using a shotgun-type weapon to gleefully turn the robot guards to scrap. The second one stood just behind him, with grey armor and plasma rifle in hand, as she took more measured shots, fired for effect, and watched the first’s back.

Behind these two was a third member, standing on the node platform. He was watching the selector icon's rapid movements, carefully trying to catch its rhythm while waiting for the right time to activate it. 

This Lombax was wearing bright gold armor and was clearly the leader.

Lacera dropped back down and faced Alister with a determined look, "They're about to capture the second node," she explained hurriedly. "Two more are cleaning up the last few defense bots. I'll take care of them, you put some explosives on the node platform as soon as there’s an opening."

"Understood," confirmed Alister before he reached for his grenade holster and moved a couple of concussion grenades to his chest for quick access.

As he did so, he experienced a brief moment of déjà vu, but he didn't have time to dwell on the feeling. 

Seeing that he was ready, Lacera ran up the last few steps and out into the battle. Alister pushed any unnecessary thoughts out of his head and gripped his Combuster tightly before charging up after her.

The moment Lacera had a clear flight path, she ignited her jumpboots with a bang and flew straight into range of the first Lombax before he’d even seen her coming. Clearly, the Gold Bolts hadn’t been expecting their opponents to make it to the second node, or through the army of defenders, so quickly.

The blue-armored enemy was a priority target for Lacera, as his weapon made him the greatest close-ranged threat. The leader of the Tough Nuts scored a hit each with her two KatomniWrenchs, striking both her target’s face and the arm holding their weapon simultaneously, forcing them to drop it and shout out in pain and surprise.

The grey-armored Lombax witnessed the assault with a confused look on her face, caught off guard by the sudden swiftness of the attack.

Then, when the situation finally dawned, her expression turned to one of horror before she spun around toward the node platform, "It's the Tough Nuts!" she shouted in panic.

The third Gold Bolt member, with a surprised expression, looked up from the node control panel just in time to see two grenades arcing through the air towards him. 

The gold-armored Lombax’s eyes grew wide as he recognized the incoming threat and a second later he dove clean off the platform. He hit the ground with a thud and quickly huddled behind a pile of rubble, just as the twin concussion blasts shook the alcove. 

Alister appeared a second later to keep the gold-armored Lombax pinned behind their cover with some Combuster fire.

Lacera was forced to jump back as plasma rounds from the grey armored member's rifle were turned on her. When the first salvo missed, however, Lacera whipped out her own Shard Reaper and returned fire. 

The two opponents both dove and juked around each other's shots in the usual Lombax style of blast and move tactics.

Alister kept a bead on the Gold Bolts’ leader as he tried to circle around their cover until he had a clear shot. The moment he did, the newly minted Tough Nut poured Combuster rounds into his opponent’s gold armor plating as he charged forward. 

To finish the attack, Alister leapt into the air and skillfully landed a Hyper-strike with a powerful clang. 

Gears and sparks flew from the destroyed Dopplebanger before Alister pulled his wrench free and angrily kicked the decoy. He immediately began to look around for his ‘real’ target, but couldn't find them anywhere.

Instead, he turned to the fight between Lacera and the second Gold Bolt member. Lacera had managed to force her opponent behind cover as she continued to shoot back. 

It was then that Alister noticed the blue-armored Lombax trying to rise unsteadily to his feet. The white-furred Lombax quickly plucked a plasma grenade from his holster with each hand and armed them both in the same motion before tossing it at the still unaware enemy.

With his attention focused on Lacera, the unsuspecting Lombax was struck in the head by the explosive device. Still disoriented, he turned dizzily to find out what had hit him and spotted the grenade as it clattered to the ground and rolled to a halt at his feet. 

The blue-armored Lombax’s eyes opened wide in horror and he managed a surprised squeak and to throw his arms up to cover his face before the two grenades detonated. 

The force of the explosion blasted the Gold Bolt backwards with great force as superheated plasma splashed against his armor. He landed a few feet away, smoke from the pieces of his suit that had been vaporized wafting through the air.

The lack of blue light meant that they were still ‘alive’, but clearly unconscious for the moment.

Alister grinned triumphantly and then turned to lend his fire to Lacera, helping to keep the second member pinned in cover as his leader moved to flank her position.

The grey armored Gold Bolt, realizing how dire her situation was, burst from cover, disregarding the several Combuster rounds that struck her, and charged straight for Lacera with an activated grenade in her hand.

However, just as the enemy Lombax got within range, Lacera spun a full 360 degrees to deliver a jumpboot-assisted, roundhouse kick to her attacker’s face, throwing the unfortunate assailant sideways and forcing them to let go of the explosive. 

In the same spinning motion, Lacera brought one of her KatomniWrenches around and whacked the still airborne grenade like a baseball. 

The live explosive device was sent flying through the air, out over the edge of the alcove, where it exploded in a flash of bright orange fire.

Lacera made sure ‘not’ to watch it explode before looking down at her dazed enemy. The leader of the Tough Nuts then holstered one of her wrenches across her back and held her remaining one with two hands, before charging forward and leaping in the air, intending to finish her opponent with a Hyper-strike. 

Just before she landed the hit, however, a large ball of energy slammed into Lacera’s side and she was sent skidding across the floor.

Alister spun around to find that the leader of the Gold Bolts had managed to get into an abandoned heavy turret that had been set in the far corner of the alcove. He hid safely behind its large cannon and protective gun shield while directing a stream of energy spheres at Lacera as she scrambled to find cover.

Alister took a step towards the new threat and reached for another grenade to throw, but at the same moment the turret's barrel swiftly spun around and was then pointed at him. 

The white-furred Lombax tried to toss the explosive as he dove for cover, but his aim was affected by his evasive move. The device didn’t have the distance and it clanged dully against the top of the turret’s gun shield before falling in front of it and detonating harmlessly.

As the two Tough Nuts hunkered down behind cover, the gunner in the turret addressed his half-conscious ally, "Capture the node!" he shouted desperately at the Lombax still lying flat on the floor.

The grey-armored member of the team carefully pushed herself off the ground and shook her head to try and clear her still swimming vision. Finally, she managed to get to her feet and make a run for the node, only to trip and slam face first into the ground again. The leader saw this and groaned in frustration.

"You OK?" shouted Alister to Lacera who was sitting behind cover a few meters away and holding her side.

"I'm fine," she answered angrily as the burning sensation in her ribs faded thanks to her Nanotech. "We need to take out that turret."

"Yeah, but how?" asked Alister.

Lacera thought for a moment, "I'll distract the gunner while you put a grenade down their throat," she said. "If I make a move on the node when they’re close to taking it, he might just risk defending them long enough for you to get a clear throw."

"Are you sure you're up for that?" questioned Alister with a concerned look at the charred and blackened welt on Lacera's armor.

Lacera grinned, "Don't worry about me, Grunt, it's your tail on the line if that gunner feels more obligated to cover his own pelt than to do what's best for his team. He is the leader of the Gold Bolts after all," she explained.

Alister simply nodded and took a quick peek around the slab of concrete he was hiding behind to see what had become of the second Gold Bolt member. 

But, barely had he poked his head out, before he had to pull it back down as the turret gunner unleashed another stream of energy blasts at him.

Still, in that brief moment, he had seen that the grey armored Gold Bolt had made it to the node platform. He turned to tell Lacera, but she had already put her hands on the floor and had set her body in a sprinter's stance. 

She waited a few seconds for what she hoped would be the perfect timing, then gave Alister a wink and dashed forward.

The moment she left, a trail of energy blasts ripped up the ground behind her as the enemy turret tracked her movements. A brief moment later, Alister leapt from behind his cover, grenade in hand, and ran at the turret with all he had. 

But, when the gold-plated Gold Bolt realized Alister was coming at him, he broke off from Lacera and turned the turret barrel back around to defend himself. 

Alister was too fast, though. He managed to lob the grenade with practiced skill, before hitting the floor to avoid the stream of incoming turret fire. This time, his aim was true and the explosive orb sailed clean over the turret’s gun shield.

The Lombax in the gunner’s position heard the grenade land behind him and ran from the turret just before it detonated. Alister pumped his fist in triumph, then he turned just in time to see Lacera ram the other Gold Bolt off of the node platform and take their place while holding up her wrench in victory.

Any further feelings of success were squashed, however, when the air was suddenly filled with a hail of gunfire. 

Every conscious Lombax in the alcove turned in surprise to discern the attacks’ source. They all watched as dozens of depot defense bots came pouring out of the staircase openings in the floor. The large group of enemies that Alister and Lacera had left behind must have finally caught up with them.

Lacera quickly dove for cover while pulling out her plasma rifle and returning fire. Alister did the same with his Combuster. 

Even the leader of the Gold Bolts recognized the danger and tossed out a couple of his Dopplebangers. These weaponized decoys then added their own firepower to the fight, as well as drew enemy fire from the rest of them. The still woozy grey armored Gold Bolt even managed to pick herself up and add her firepower after seeing her leader’s actions.

Alister ducked back behind cover as shots peppered the area where his head had been a moment ago. He waited for the attack to subside before standing up again and bringing his gun to bear, but he froze on the trigger as he saw the mass of robots that were now swarming around the alcove.

There had been too many for him and Lacera to handle all at once before now and while they had the added bonus of cover for the moment, they were also trapped in an alcove with no way to retreat. 

There were a few other doorways leading off of the alcove that lead further into the depot and another office section, but making a break for them now would be suicide. Even with the added fire from the Gold Bolts, things still looked grim. 

As Alister dove back behind cover to avoid more enemy blasts, he saw Lacera hunker down behind an already weakened block of cement that was slowly being chipped away.

He did a quick count of his remaining grenades with the hope that he'd have enough to blast a large swath of enemy robots off the alcove, but most of his high explosive grenades had been used when he picked up Lacera on the warehouse floor. He didn't have enough now. 

As hope for their situation began to fade, Alister spotted the turret platform that he had just attacked not a minute ago. If he could get to that gun, then he could devastate the enemy horde, but with the amount of gunfire in the air, Alister doubted that he could even reach it. 

It didn't matter though, because it looked like the turret might be their only chance.

With a deep breath, Alister braced himself for pain, before he bolted from cover and tossed as many grenades as he could toward the guardbot forces. When he’d emptied his main holster, he then turned fully and sprinted for the turret without any thought to evasion or counterattack. 

Lacera saw him make his move and immediately recognized his plan. She jumped up from her own cover with her Shard Reaper in one hand and her rifle in the other before pumping round after round into the crowd to try and draw as much fire towards her as possible.

Still, Alister's armor was vibrating from the sheer number of shots that were hitting him. They were mostly small and weak, low-caliber rounds, but they were like a hundred bee stings and began to add up. He could feel them puncture his skin and burn through his insides as the odd one would find a weak point in his armor.

But he was still alive as he came within spitting distance of the large gun emplacement. He dove the last few feet to the turret and slid behind the sanctuary of its reinforced gun shield.

The ringing of weapons fire striking the metal barrier between him and his enemies was loud, but the sound was actually like sweet music to his ears. He took a brief moment to catch his breath and let the Nanotech repair the holes covering his body as blood leaked from his armor in over a dozen places. Now, at least Alister could say that he knew what Swiss cheese felt like.

"Any day now, Grunt!" yelled Lacera over the ringing of metal and gunfire.

Jolted from his moment of recovery, Alister immediately set about finding the turret's controls. 

There were two large guide handles flanking a screen with a targeting reticule on it, which also displayed the view from the turret's cannon. Everything was slightly damaged from the grenade that he'd used earlier, but not too badly.

Alister gripped the handles and felt the hydraulic servos helping him guide the heavy gun around until he had found Lacera on the targeting screen. She was still trying to hold back the horde of robots with quick shoot and duck attacks, but they were about to reach her position. 

Alister lined up the reticle on the densest concentration of enemies and squeezed the trigger... but nothing happened.

"Grunt!" shouted Lacera as she blasted away a sword-wielding guard that had climbed over top of her cover with her Shard Reaper.

Alister released and squeezed the trigger again and again, but still nothing happened. It was clear that the firing mechanism had been damaged and he wasn’t completely sure he could fix it.

With time being of the essence, Alister lifted his wrench and smashed it against the handle with the trigger in it, causing it to break off. The trigger mechanism sprayed sparks as it dangled in the air by its wires.

Alister then yanked out all the wiring that connected to the fire control. He wasn't anywhere near Kaden's level of technical savvy, but desperate times and all that. He grabbed all the sparking ends of wire he could and simply twisted them all together.

He felt a tingling sensation run down his arm, and then there was a loud pop as something short-circuited inside the control console. But then, a second later, the heavy cannon barrel miraculously began belching large orbs of burning energy that flew forth and smashed against the swarm of robots with devastating effect. The intermittent but heavy stream of blasts chewed through the attackers like they were stacks of tin cans and they began to fall one by one in rapid succession.

Lacera shouted a cheer in both excitement and relief before jumping up and adding to the barrage. 

To the far side of the turret, the leader of the Gold Bolts peeked out from where he was hiding and also joined in. It looked as if, with their combined firepower, that the large group of robots would finally be defeated. 

Then something big came up the stairs.

It looked like it was an armored guard at first, but this one was almost two feet taller than usual and moved very slowly. The smaller guard-bots parted like ants to let it pass and Alister saw a massive grenade launcher that it held in its arms. 

Immediately he grabbed the remaining turret handle and tried to guide the still firing barrel toward the new, large enemy, but the cannon wouldn't budge.

When Alister had forced all of the control wires together, he must have shorted out the hydraulic servo controls as well. Quickly, he tried to separate the wires and figure out which ones were which, but it all just looked like a mess to him. He then glanced back up at the turret monitor and saw the large guard aim its weapon right at him.

Making a split second decision to cut his losses, Alister ran from the turret as quickly as his two legs would carry him, just before a salvo of explosive projectiles struck the still firing gun emplacement. 

The shells detonated on impact, shredding the turret like cheese. The whole alcove shook as a secondary shock wave erupted when the turret itself overloaded. Alister was knocked to the floor from the blast and the other Lombaxes in the area had to grab onto something to keep themselves steady.

Lacera took in the situation. Thanks to the help of the turret before its demise, the horde of enemy robots had been dwindled down to a manageable size. Their endless numbers seemed to have finally reached their limit, but now there was this new threat to deal with.

The heavy armored guard aimed its grenade launcher at Alister once more and let loose another barrage. Alister ignited his hoverboots this time and blasted away before they landed. 

It was clear to the leader of the Tough Nuts that this bomb throwing giant was now their biggest danger. 

Without hesitation, Lacera leapt into the heart of the remaining normal guards, dropping them left and right with her twin KatomniWrenches as she made her way toward the towering robot.

As the heavy guard followed Alister's movements, its sensors locked onto the figure of the Gold Bolt leader. Deciding to switch targets, it sent a hail of explosives towards him next.

The threatened Lombax ignited his own hoverboots, just as Alister had done, but wasn't as fast or nimble. The blast wave that came from behind slammed in his back and knocked him into the ground. They didn't immediately get back up again.

But by then Lacera had finally reached the heavy guard, leaving a path of destroyed regular guards in her wake. 

When the oversized robot recognized the threat she posed, it immediately swung its heavy weapon like a club in an attempt to take her out, but Lacera easily ducked under the cumbersome swing and landed a double strike on one of the giant's knee servos.

The joint buckled slightly on impact, but did not give way completely. Lacera wound up for another attack, but instead had to dodge backward from the swings of a sword-wielding guardbot that chose to get in her way. She eliminated it easily, but had to pull back again to avoid another swing from the heavy guard's weapon.

Alister arrived a moment later and went about the task of handling the remaining guard bots. He made sure to keep them off of Lacera as she focused on taking down the behemoth. 

With her back now covered, the leader of the Tough Nuts managed to deliver several more strikes to critical locations on the large robot, but no matter what she tried, nothing seemed to make a serious impact on her opponent.

Eventually, the heavy guard got fed-up with the stalemate and fired a grenade into the ground at point blank range. The robot itself was mostly safe from the blast with its heavy armor plating, but Lacera was knocked to the ground in a shower of shrapnel.

The heavy guard then swung its gun toward Lacera as she quickly tried to get to her feet. 

Alister then spayed Combuster fire at the large robot’s face to get its attention while he flew straight at it on his hoverboots. 

The large robot turned its attention away and raised its weapon in preparation to intercept Alister's path.

Unflinchingly, Alister kept his boots steady and didn't change course, "Here!" he yelled to Lacera as he tossed her a grenade.

Lacera caught the thermite detonator just as the large robot swung downward. 

Alister immediately cranked up the output of his hoverboots and zoomed between its legs, just in time to avoid its attack. He passed the enemy safely, but had to pull up hard to stop himself from flying off the edge of the alcove while the heavy bot turned to follow.

Alister's stunt had left Lacera holding an anti-armor grenade while staring at the completely wide open back of the heavy guard bot. 

She smiled wickedly as she holstered the grenade to her armor and blasted forward on her jumpboots. She drove one of her wrenches into the robot's side, burying it deep, and used it as a foothold to climb up and wedge the grenade into a gap between the guard's neck and collar.

She then smacked the robot across its head for good measure before jumping down to avoid a counter swipe of the robot’s hand. 

After quickly grabbing her other wrench, Lacera sprinted away in time to avoid any further counterattacks. The guardbot brought its weapon up and pointed it at her retreating form, but before it could fire, the thermite detonator went off. 

A bright flare lit up the heavy guard's face as superheated particles began eating their way through its armor and into the circuitry around its neck.

Power was cut off from robot's head first. Then, shortly after, the thermite had reached down to its main power core. 

A loud boom echoed around the alcove as its chest exploded. Flames spewed from its body as it fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

All at once there was silence on the alcove. So engrossed in the mission to kill the leader, both Alister and Lacera looked up to find that they had destroyed the army of attacking guard bots in their entirety.

Only a few feet from where Lacera stood now, the grey-armored Gold Bolt poked her head up from behind cover and her eyes widened in amazement, “We did it!” she shouted excitedly, looking around at the destroyed robots in disbelief.

A second later, Lacera pulled the trigger on her Shard Reaper and blasted the Gold Bolt member at point blank range. They let out an odd squawk of surprise before blue light embraced them and they were gone.

Alister hadn’t seen Lacera switch weapons, but then again, no one ever did.

With the still burning remains of the large robot between them, Alister smiled at Lacera who returned the smile with a small nod of approval. 

Then her eyes grew wide with surprise and before Alister had time to wonder why, something very strong gripped the back of his armor and lifted him clear off his feet.

A second later he found himself flying backwards, sailing cleanly through the air and out over the edge of the alcove. 

The surprised Lombax flailed wildly in a desperate attempt to find purchase anywhere, but there was nothing. The only hint he had as to what had just happened was a brief glimpse of red armor... before he plummeted to the warehouse floor below.


	12. When Titans Dance

Kor reached the top of the stairwell just as a bright flash lit up the alcove and a loud boom washed over him. With cautious swiftness, he moved from cover to cover until he was close enough to observe the source of the explosion in detail.

_ All at once there was silence on the alcove. So engrossed in the mission to kill the leader, both Alister and Lacera looked up to find that they had destroyed the army of attacking guard bots in their entirety. _

Kor quickly assessed the situation after he observed one of his allies being shot out of the game. There were large burning robot remains in the alcove center and the two enemy Tough Nuts were standing around it. 

One of them was standing close to the edge of the alcove and Kor saw his moment to strike, as they relaxed from their apparent victory.

_ With the still burning remains of the large robot between them, Alister smiled at Lacera who returned the smile with a small nod of approval.  _

Soundlessly, Kor darted out from cover and appeared directly behind the white-furred Lombax by the alcove's edge. 

The red-armored Lombax then reached up and gripped the back of his enemy’s armored collar, before lifting them into the air and heaving them over the brink in the same motion.

Kor grinned inside his helmet when he saw, for a split second, the look of surprise and confusion on Lombax's face as they fell from view. 

There followed a brief feeling of familiarity toward the now absent Lombax that crossed his mind, but he brushed it away. While he personally didn't like to end a potential match so quickly and deviously, he wasn't going to take any chances with his next opponent.

Kor had recognized the tanned-furred female the moment he'd laid eyes on her. She was famous among the younger military students who made up the majority of the Capture the Depot competitors. 

She had been titled ‘The Mad Queen of the Depot’ for her particularly ruthless love of beating her enemies to a pulp with her twin wrenches. It was a love that Kor could relate to and he had been looking forward to facing her ever since he'd been offered a spot on the Gold Bolts' team.

The red-armored Lombax turned back to face his next opponent and opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't even have time to say a single word before he was forced to sidestep and evade the spinning Omniwrench that came flying towards him. The attack was then followed a moment later by an identical one which was still gripped in the hands of its wielder.

Lacera swung hard at Kor's helmet, but her opponent ducked nimbly out of its path. As he did so, he swung upwards with his own oversized wrench in a counterattack. 

Lacera easily slid out of its way and pulled out her Shard Reaper with her free hand.

Kor allowed the momentum of his wrench to dissipate at the apex of its upward movement, before pulling it back down with all his strength, forcing his opponent to backstep and hesitate on their next attack. 

The heavy wrench then slammed into the ground, where it entrenched itself in the concrete. 

Using the embedded weapon as a handhold, Kor jumped into the air just as a cloud of razor-sharp trillium ripped through the space he'd just been standing in. 

Using the momentum from his jump, he then swept his armored boot in a large arc over his head before bringing it down towards his opponent.

Lacera blocked the kick with her wrench and moved back another pace as Kor followed through with his other foot. 

Just before he could go fully on the offensive, however, Lacera's first wrench came spinning back on its boomerang return. Kor saw it just in time to dodge it and the wrench whistled by him, brushing dust off his armor as it sailed by.

This hasty move left a slight opening in Kor's defense and Lacera didn’t let it go to waste. She blasted another round of Shards toward her opponent before stowing the weapon and catching her first wrench, all in what looked like the same movement. 

The Shards came too fast and too close for Kor to dodge completely this time. A few pinged against or buried themselves into his armor as he was forced to dive away from the shot's focal point.

With both wrenches in hand now, Lacera made a move to bring down a double Hyper-strike on her opponent. 

Kor, who’d come up from his dive kneeling, reached out and ripped his wrench free from the concrete before pulling it defensively between himself and his opponent. 

However, he was caught by surprise when, instead of two heavy impacts to his wrench, he heard a loud bang that was followed by a metal boot that came up under his weapon’s guard and struck him squarely in the chest.

Kor was sent rolling backwards as his world spun around him. He could feel himself rapidly moving towards the alcove's edge and towards the same fate as the white-furred Lombax. 

Desperate to slow himself down, he then tightened the grip that he'd almost lost on his wrench and drove it into the floor. 

Rocks and sparks flew as his momentum was slowed to a halt just before the end of the alcove, his heel kissing the void that lay just beyond the precipice.

Lacera clicked her teeth in disappointment and then raised her KatomniWrenches into a defensive stance. She had hoped that she'd been quick enough to end the fight before it had even begun, but had also known somewhere deep down that there was no way it would ever be that easy... nor did she want it to be. 

Kor was still kneeling motionlessly with one hand on his wrench's handle and the expressionless mask of his helmet was still staring down at the floor. 

Lacera readied herself for his counterattack. But then… Kor began to laugh. 

At first, Lacera didn't recognize the metallic coughing noise that emanated from his helmet's speakers, but as the red-armored warrior rose to his feet, she could see his body shaking lightly with mirth. 

He then raised his head, still laughing, and looked her in the eye. The piercing, emotionless stare was twice as unnerving with the mechanical cackle behind it and Lacera’s grip on her weapons tightened reflexively.

"What's so funny?" she demanded in a cold tone.

Kor placed both hands on his wrench and shook his head lightly as his laughter subsided, "Nothing," he replied between fits of a dying chuckle, "I'm just… having a ‘really’ good day."

Kor gripped the handle of his Malleus wrench tightly as excitement flooded his body. He would finally get to test his skills against the number-one-ranked close-quarters combat fighter among all the level four students in the Military Field.

During the preseason, Kor's first Capture the Depot match had been against the Tough Nuts and he had held a small bit of hope that he might get to face ‘The Mad Queen’ then. 

His hopes had soared when it had seemed like she had come to challenge him directly with reckless abandon. That Lombax, however, had merely been a similar-looking warrior and had proven herself to be of little challenge in the end. 

This was the real thing though, his opponent's previous attack had made that clear. 

Now all he had to do was make sure nothing interfered with his long-awaited challenge.

Kor raised an armored hand toward Lacera and held up his index finger, "One moment, please," he said, to Lacera's great surprise, before turning his head slightly and calling out, "Fallo!" into the distance.

Lacera heard the crunch of rubble moving from somewhere to her side and someone else answered Kor's words, "What are you doing?!" demanded the golden armored Gold Bolt angrily. "Now you've given away my position!"

Kor tilted his head to one side, "I only shouted out. Your loud mouth and poor footwork gave away your position," he replied curtly. "Regardless, wake Weasel’s lazy tail up and head for the last node... now."

Fallo sputtered indignantly at being given a command, "Are you crazy?" he shouted back. "We haven't even captured this node. It's two against one. We should take down The Queen together."

Kor shook his head, "You'll only get in my way," he countered.

Fallo’s ears stiffened threateningly, "What about the second node then?" he pressed with his aggravation rising.

"I will take control of it after my duel is completed," answered Kor simply.

"And if you don't win?" demanded Fallo testily.

Kor contemplated the question for a moment, "Then the Tough Nuts will win the match," he answered finally, with no signs of concern. "But I won't have you interrupting my fight by distracting my opponent with your attempt to capture the node. There is still a member of the Tough Nuts unaccounted for and they only need one more node to win. They're probably heading for the third node already, so get moving."

Lacera dared not do more than glance away from her more dangerous opponent, but she could hear the grumblings of Fallo as he tried to decide what to do. 

Eventually, though, he seemed to choose not to go against the red armored psychopath that he was now half-regretting hiring to his team. More rubble shifted as Fallo half-lifted, half-dragged his half-conscious companion toward the alcove exits and into the office space beyond.

Kor then turned back to Lacera, who was still in her combat ready stance, "Now then," he continued casually, "are you ready?"

Lacera still hadn't moved, except to narrow her eyes and glare, "I'm going to make you eat concrete," she answered simply.

"Good," whispered Kor with satisfaction.

Rocks flew from the ground as Kor ripped his weapon from it, before rushing forward. As he came within range, he swung its great mass toward his opponent. 

Lacera moved her body away smoothly and used one of her KatomniWrenches to lightly block the incoming Malleus wrench, offsetting its trajectory enough to miss her by a hair. She then swung sideways with her other wrench, aiming for Kor's ribs, but the weapon was met halfway by a red-armored fist with glowing knuckles. 

Sparks flew as Kor’s Impact Drivers diverted the blow of the KatomniWrench and two combatants separated once more.

They eyed each other carefully, sizing each other up, judging their skills based on how the last few clashes had affected the other, and deciding their next moves.

Lacera attacked first. She blasted forward, closing the gap between them in a flash, and swung both wrenches down on Kor's head. 

Kor brought his wrench up to block the strikes, which reverberated off it with a loud clang. He then quickly drove his weapon back down in order to block a rocket-powered kick.

Lacera pushed off of Kor's wrench after her foot had connected with it and flipped in midair, avoiding an armored fist aimed at her head, while simultaneously tossing one of her wrenches in the opposite direction, away from Kor.

As her body came around full circle, Lacera flung her remaining wrench at Kor's chest while simultaneously pulling out her plasma rifle and squeezing the trigger.

Lacera's wrench was blocked by Kor's wrench and was sent spinning away into the air. Her rifle opened up next and her shots pierced empty space as her opponent vanished from their path. 

Kor gripped his wrench with two hands and hurled the heavy weapon at Lacera. 

The move took her by surprise, as she knew there were no grav-manipulators in Kor’s Malleus Wrench to lighten it or bring it back once thrown. Still, her reflexes were well honed.

Lacera managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but the large weapon nicked her shoulder guard. The jolt that her shoulder felt was uncomfortable, but the knowledge that, had she been even half a second slower, the weapon would have taken off her head was even more so.

Without his primary weapon, Kor was now much less defended. His throw had been a gamble that hadn't paid off. Realizing this, he charged forward to utilize his Impact Drivers better. 

Lacera ducked and weaved to avoid a flurry of glowing punches that came from every direction. The swings were also intended to prevent her from raising the plasma rifle in her other hand, leaving her without a way to counterattack for the moment.

As she dodged though, she kept a mental count of when her first wrench would be returning and timed it perfectly, catching it while in the exact position necessary to use it.

Not expecting the wrench to appear so suddenly, Kor overextended a jab, allowing Lacera to lock his wrist in the prongs of her KatomniWrench and hold it safely at bay. 

Kor, however, had also managed to grab hold of her plasma rifle with his other hand and prevented her from bringing it up to bear. 

The then two stood locked in a stalemate as they fought against each other's holds, knowing the first one to let go would be left open to attack.

Lacera looked deeply into Kor's crystal lenses and could almost see him smiling behind them as she realized that he was winning the standoff. He was just so much stronger than she thought a Lombax of his size could be. He could probably give Torque a run for his bolts in an arm wrestling contest.

Just as her grip on her wrench was reaching its limit, Lacera released the weapon entirely and hit the floor to avoid the restrained punch that it had released. 

Kor had his opponent on the defensive now and he lunged forward for another attack, but Lacera’s timing had been flawless and her second wrench came spinning back at that moment, striking the unguarded back of Kor’s head.

The surprise impact caused the red-armored Lombax’s ears to ring and his reflexes to hesitate, leaving him open for a fraction of second. 

In that instant, Lacera once again produced her Shard Reaper.

Kor spotted the weapon, but his reaction was late, and half-a-dozen trillium shards stung his armor as he tried to sidestep the majority of the blast. This desperate move had also forced him to release Lacera's plasma rifle from his grip. 

Immediately, the rifle came up to join Lacera’s Shard Reaper and the two weapons spat screaming shots of plasma and trillium into Kor's armor.

A dozen rounds punched holes into red-painted metal as Kor was forced to roll and dive about in an almost vain attempt to avoid more of them. 

Lacera had gained the upper hand and any movement her opponent made to get to decent cover was countered by a carefully placed burst of plasma or spray of shards, while the opposite weapon kept its focus on causing as much damage to him as possible.

Kor realized that winning this fight with his fists and wrench alone was impossible, but he didn't have time to go for his blasters. Even the slightest hesitation in his rapid evasive maneuvers would bring the full weight of his opponent's firepower down on him. 

Luckily for Kor, he had found a new weapon in the Military Field Armory that he had been willing to spend his precious bolts on.

Kor made it look like he had stumbled and allowed his opponent to close the gap between them, coming in to finish him. Then, once Lacera was within range, he rolled backwards and formed a cup shape with each of his armored hands, before holding them open towards her. 

The leader of the Tough Nuts hesitated for a second, unsure of what her opponent was doing.

A moment later, intense sound waves blasted from sonic emitters in Kor’s gauntlets and slammed into Lacera at the speed of sound propagation. 

Completely controlled by reflex, Lacera brought her hands to the side of her head, trying to plug her ears, as her eardrums were rocked with painful vibrations. 

Seeing his opponent staggered, Kor opened his hands, shutting off the sonic attack, and charged forward to take advantage of the opening it had made.

Lacera, with her ears still ringing in pain and with tears in her eyes, managed to fire her jumpboots just in time to avoid Kor's attack. 

Kor’s fist speared through the top of Lacera's afterimage and went straight into the floor. Upon contact, a bright flash of light revealed the power that the energized fists carried. 

Lacera skidded to a halt a short distance away, but too far for Kor to close quickly. She didn't have time to recover though, as white blasts of energy blazed through the air toward her a second later. 

Kor stitched a path of rounds in the floor behind his fleeing opponent with his Castor pistol, while his Pollux pistol charged for a heavy blast. 

Lacera sprinted for cover, but her instincts told her to stop. She dug in her heels to slow down and spun around at the last second, moving ‘away’ from the small barricade she had been heading for just as it exploded in a ball of fire. 

Kor stood with his Pollux pistol raised toward the burning barricade and smoke pouring from its barrel.

Lacera got to her feet and she and Kor faced each other again. 

In the brief respite in the battle, the leader of the Tough Nuts could feel her eardrums being regrown by her standard Nanotech. Her nanites would repair them just enough to be functional, but until the fight was over she would be deeply missing Varin's magic Nano-touch.

"A good warm-up," noted the red-armored Lombax happily. Lacera’s ears had still not fully recovered, so Kor’s words were even more muffled and patchy than usual, but she managed to make out what was said, "Now let's get serious."

Lacera growled in annoyance. She had known that Kor was good, but to be able to go toe to toe with her was a surprise. It was an angering fact given that he was still just a Fuzzy, even if he was a level three already. 

She was no longer certain that she would win this fight. 

She noted this in her mind as a smile split her face. Now she was just ‘extremely’ confident that she would.

* * *

_ With the still burning remains of the large robot between them, Alister smiled at Lacera who returned the smile with a small nod of approval.  _

_ Then her eyes grew wide with surprise and before Alister had time to wonder why, something very strong gripped the back of his armor and lifted him clear off his feet. _

_ A second later he found himself flying backwards, sailing cleanly through the air and out over the edge of the alcove.  _

_ The surprised Lombax flailed wildly in a desperate attempt to find purchase anywhere, but there was nothing. The only hint he had as to what had just happened was a brief glimpse of red armor... before he plummeted to the warehouse floor below. _

Alister's mind raced with questions of what could have caused his current speedy descent, but he didn't have time to answer them. 

With great mental fortitude, the falling Lombax relaxed his body and pushed away any thoughts of his impending impact that ran the risk of causing him to panic. 

With his mind and body back under control, Alister spread his arms and legs out in an attempt to stabilize his fall. 

Once his body was no longer spinning out of control in the air, he pulled in his legs to change his aerodynamics and shift his inertia.

With his feet under him at last, Alister sent a mental signal to his hoverboots and a roar of jets greeted his ears as their ion coils blasted streams of energized gas from his feet. 

He could feel his velocity decreasing rapidly... but there simply wasn't enough time to allow a completely safe landing.

Alister hit the ground with intense force. He felt his knees buckle, both his ankles sprain, and at least one of his femurs crack as he impacted the ground before the rest of his body made the floor’s acquaintance. 

Alister immediately killed the jets of his hoverboots as he lay sprawled out across the floor, writhing in pain.

After a few seconds, however, the pain numbed as his Nanotech quickly began repairing his legs. But he had to be careful, Nanotech had a nasty habit of fusing bones if they weren't set properly. 

Gritting his teeth against the coming second round of suffering, Alister quickly sat up and found the leg that was broken, laying it out against the floor as straight as he could. He then placed his wrench over top of the leg and put his foot in-between its prongs. Next, he grabbed a roll of det-cord from his pack and wrapped it tightly around the two.

In any other situation, wrapping a leg in explosive wire would seem like a bad idea, but Alister had to straighten his limb quickly or else risk it being healed wrong, which could sometimes be worse than it not being healed at all. 

With the wrench secured, he took careful hold of its handle and, with one last deep breath, squeezed gently. 

Instantly the wrench's extension function engaged and its neck stretched out against his leg, forcefully and painfully pulling it straight.

Alister could feel bone shards move back into place and a few of the early, nanite-made bindings break apart.

It was only a few seconds later that he stopped his wrench's extension, but it had felt like an hour. He then let out a long sigh, before sitting still as he impatiently waited for his Nanotech to mend the newly-set bones.

However, now that he had time to think, the reason for his sudden skydiving trip became obvious. The red armor he had glimpsed as he fell was not something he could easily forget. Flashbacks of his brief encounter with Kor in the MSE Tournament came unhappily to his mind as he remembered the force of that single, Inferno powered punch that had dented his armor and made him regurgitate his lunch into the bushes.

Worst of all though, he recalled seeing the look of surprise on Kaden's face as he had been teleported away in defeat. 

That moment had shaken Alister deeply. Sure, it was true that he himself could beat Kaden in a straight-up fistfight or hoverboot race, but Alister had always been sure that if Kaden put his mind to it, he'd never lose. 

That was, however, until the MSET.

Though he knew that almost everyone on the Tough Nuts wanted Kor's tail. Alister had realized when he’d first met them that he personally had been dreading another encounter and didn't want to face Kor again. 

But, this was no time for cowardice. He was here now and needed to get back to the alcove to help Lacera.

Alister tried twice to get up and hobble toward the nearest staircase and twice he tripped and slammed to the ground, causing another surge of pain. 

While still on the floor, the injured Lombax slammed his fist into the floor angrily as his frustration grew. His leg repairs were taking much longer due to the lack of nanites in his system. 

Even though the Tough Nuts had given him most of the Nanotech they'd received for capturing the first node, he had used most of it to recover from the lethal barrage of weapons fire he had waded through to reach the turret in the alcove.

Alister played with the idea of dragging himself up the stairs to reach the top faster, but thought better of it. He forced himself to calm down once more, knowing that any more attempts to move would only slow his healing process even further. 

And so he sat, with his back against the wall, and forced himself to wait until his legs were properly repaired.

* * *

Lacera stood with her back to a wall, a wrench in one hand and a primed grenade in the other. She was listening carefully for any sounds that might give away Kor's position. 

After Kor's sonic attack, the leader of the Tough Nuts had chosen to abandon the alcove and had used her jumpboots to make her way into the narrow corridors of the nearby office section. 

Kor had already made it clear that he didn’t intend to capture the node before defeating her, a sentiment that she mirrored, so her best option had been to recover her wrenches and evade while giving her damaged senses more time to recover. Her opponent hadn't immediately pursued her, knowing that she was faster with her jumpboots. 

Now the two of them were playing a game of cat and mouse, though who was the cat and who was the mouse wasn't very clear.

The office section she was in was a lot like any other, except that the level of destruction it had sustained was much higher. The Depot was always rebuilt from time to time, but this area was located just after the second node, where teams were most likely to meet up and make contact, so it sustained extensive damage constantly.

Suddenly, Lacera heard a noise from the other side of the surface that she was leaning against and tossed the grenade over the top of it. It exploded with a ground-shaking boom and would surely have taken out whatever had made the noise, but her instincts told her to watch her surroundings. 

As if on cue, the tan Lombax turned and spotted Kor approaching from another direction entirely, just as he came into range.

Lacera had enough time dodge his wrench strike, which obliterated the wall behind her, and she even managed to score a good whack to his chest plate with her own wrench in the process. She then blasted away, back into the maze of barriers and walls.

Kor watched his opponent slip away yet again as his chest throbbed from the pain of her attack. His opponent’s quick strikes were fast enough to win her small victories like this and escape before his more powerful counter-attacks had a chance to land.

For someone like Kor, who rarely found anyone capable of matching his speed, the situation was growing more frustrating by the second. Not only could his opponent dodge, but they could also attack and escape unscathed. He had to think of a solution quickly or his opponent would soon wear his armor and body thin.

* * *

Lacera's confidence was floating pretty high at the moment. She had struck her opponent several more blows and could already see a slight delay forming in his reactions from the damage he'd sustained. 

Now, she was definitely the one hunting him. She moved swiftly from cover to cover in the hopes of starting an engagement on her terms and possibly scoring more than one or two hits this time. 

Then, she turned another corner and found Kor with his back to her. 

Without hesitation, Lacera blasted forward eagerly and scored a double strike, one to his head and the other to his shoulder, but instead of the clang of metal on metal and the feeling of resistance, Lacera's wrenches met soft rubber and the inflatable decoy popped. 

Immediately Lacera turned to run, but the wall that the fake Kor had been standing next to suddenly burst apart and a heavy Malleus wrench came screaming through it. The heavy weapon struck her squarely in the back, sending her flying into the ground with great force. She then bounced a good distance away before coming to a sudden, hard stop against a support pillar.

Kor appeared from the dust a second later and Lacera rolled to avoid a blast from his heavy Pollux pistol which instead vaporized a chunk of material from the base of the pillar that she'd struck. 

Lacera still needed another second or two before her jumpboots recharged, so she rolled a grenade onto the floor between herself and Kor and then ducked into a nearby office cube.

Kor retreated slightly when he saw the explosive. A moment later it detonated, but not like a normal grenade would. Even at close range, the force it emitted wouldn't have been enough to damage him. The true purpose of the device's initial blast was, instead, to launch itself up into the air. 

Realizing this, Kor dove for cover just as a secondary explosion went off above him and the area underneath the grenade was showered in yet more explosive tipped arrows. Each detonated on contact, causing a sea of micro-explosions to canvas the hallway.

When the cluster bomb barrage had subsided, Lacera reappeared from the small office and jumpbooted away from the area. She then sprinted down several more halls, before finally coming to stop with her back against another support pillar. 

She leaned against the pillar she'd chosen and pressed hard, through gritted teeth. The strike from Kor's wrench had misaligned her spine and as any fighter knows, spinal injuries were among the most undesired.

White hot pain shot through Lacera’s entire nervous system and every muscle in her body went through a rapid series of contractions and spasms as her Nanotech repaired her vertebrae. She tightened her jaw and bit down even harder to prevent herself from shouting out and giving away her position.

This one strike had shown her what the real difference between her attack power and Kor's was. 

Despite the progress she'd made against him so far, with her many successful attacks, this last encounter had likely brought them back to equal ground, if not put her at a disadvantage.

_ ‘Death by a thousand cuts was all well and good,’ _ she thought with a shake of her head,  _ ‘but it’s hard to argue with the efficiency of death by one or two.’ _

She had to be honest with herself, things were suddenly looking bad and the leader of the Tough Nuts decided that she needed an insurance policy... even if it was untested.

With a mental command, the utility pack that was attached to the back of her armor separated with a hiss. A moment later, it blasted upward and embedded itself in the ceiling, waiting to be activated.

* * *

Kor sniffed the air carefully before sliding his mouthpiece back into place. The smoke and ionized gas in the air was making it hard to track his opponent and it was also very hard to breathe. He did manage to get an idea of where his enemy had gone, but it was clear that using his acute sense of smell to track her was a technique he’d have to use sparingly from now on.

Kor took a step forward and winced from the pain that shot through his leg. 

In his attempt to escape the cluster bomb earlier, he had been too slow and, while his leg had been the only part of him that he hadn't managed to pull behind cover in time, it had still been a costly failure. 

He looked down at the armored limb that was covered in tiny scorch marks and holes, some of which still dribbled out blood. 

All in all, though, he was pleased with the results of their last encounter. He was attuned with his weapon enough to know the difference between when it broke armor and when it broke bone, and he had definitely felt both when he’d struck his opponent last. 

Lacera was likely trying to recover at the location where he’d just smelled her and probably wouldn’t be fully healed by the time he reached her. 

_ ‘How unfortunate for her,’ _ he thought.

* * *

Alister was limping his way up the staircase, but stopped at about halfway to take a break. His leg still wasn't fully healed and his movements weren't helping it any, but he hadn't been able to wait any longer.

The white-furred Lombax was sure that if it was just Kor fighting Lacera alone then she could handle herself, however, his concern had jumped greatly when he remembered that there were still two other Gold Bolt members alive on the alcove. If they joined the fight against her then she would be at a severe disadvantage in a three to one battle.

He had tried to hail Lacera several times, but there was no reply. Either someone was utilizing jammer tech, or she was simply too busy to reply… or she had been defeated. 

Still, the Depot had not declared the Gold Bolts as the new owners of the second node, so that gave Alister confidence.

In fact, he began to wonder if Lacera might actually have the upper hand in whatever fight was taking place above him. He knew that his leader wouldn’t take the second node and end the match until she had defeated Kor, but the Gold Bolts had no such restrictions and needed to capture the second node simply to secure their continued place in the match.

Possibly this meant that Wraith or Torque had reached her as well, since Alister hadn’t seen any fighting or enemies down on the lower levels where Torque should have been. Though, Alister had no idea where they were and had been unable to hail them on the radio either.

Regardless, the fact nobody had taken the node yet meant that there was still a fight going on. If he could just get there before it ended, then he was sure victory would be theirs.

Alister smiled slightly when he imagined the annoyance on Kaden's face at being told Kor had already been beaten.

With his energy now recovered, Alister put a little weight on his injured leg to test it and found that it was almost completely healed now, with only the smallest twinge of pain remaining.

With one last breath, the white-furred Lombax sprinted up the staircase.

* * *

Lacera came to a halt behind another crumbling wall and desperately tried to catch her breath. She had moved several times since she had first stopped to heal her spine. It still wasn't fully recovered and the damage to it had made walking very difficult, but she knew that she couldn't stay still for too long. 

She didn't know how, but Kor seemed to have an amazing talent for guessing her general location and had found her no matter how well she’d hidden herself. She knew that it was only a matter of time now before he appeared again.

Unfortunately… she was right. 

Just as she was making her way to a new point of cover, she spotted Kor several meters away through a series of holes in the walls. 

Lacera instantly picked up her pace and barely managed to avoid Kor's wrench as it steamrolled its way through that same series of walls until it slammed into a pillar near where she’d been standing.

Lacera made it to another room, spun around and pulled out her rifle. Now that Kor's main weapon was lost again, he would need to rely on the relatively low firepower of his pistols and that would give Lacera the advantage in a long range fight.

She froze, however, when she spotted the twinkle of a metal wire that ran out from where the large metal wrench was embedded in the pillar. Her ears were then filled with the grinding sound of a wire winch activating and the metal thread that she’d spotted suddenly went taught. 

Seconds later, Kor came zipping along its length, pulled straight toward his weapon with great speed.

The wire system on Kor's wrist cleanly guided his hand directly to his weapon’s handle and he ripped it from the pillar in a cloud of dust and debris before he’d even come to halt. He was charging toward Lacera’s position a moment later. 

Surprised by the suddenness and the method of his arrival, the leader of the Tough Nuts opened fire with her rifle, but Kor had closed the gap too quickly and his wrench came swinging in to smash the weapon from her grip, crushing several of her fingers as well.

Kor then pulled his wrench back for another strike and so Lacera was forced to activate her jumpboots to get away.

The Malleus wrench slammed into the floor where she'd just been standing, but didn't stay there long. 

Spinning his body around on his heel, Kor used the momentum of his rotation to hurl his weapon yet again. 

Seeing the incoming attack, Lacera dove to the ground to avoid it, rolling hard, and coming back up with her Shard Reaper in her good hand, ready for Kor to zip in on his winch system again.

However, this time the red-armored Lombax planted his feet firmly and instead of being brought to his wrench by his winch, his wrench was brought to him. 

Lacera’s ears twitched and she barely had time to hit the floor again after she’d heard the crumble of rock behind her from the weapon breaking free of where it had been buried. The wrench’s prongs managed to nick the side of her helmet and take a bite out of her ear as it flew past.

Kor caught his wrench expertly with one hand, then threw it back across his shoulder, its handle still firmly in his grasp, before charging forward without a moment’s reprieve.

Instead of trying to escape again, Lacera decided to hold her ground. Clearly running away was getting her nowhere fast and so it was time to change tactics.

She waited for the moment that Kor had committed to his swing and then slid smoothly out of his wrench's path while reaching for her own weapon.

Kor had seen his opponent dodge his attacks enough times now to predict her movements, so much so that he was surprised that she’d make such a grievous mistake. 

Before his Malleus wrench had even fully made it past its target, a glowing fist came flying at her head and struck her in the side of the helmet. Metal crumpled, visor glass cracked, and Lacera's neck snapped sideways, adding immensely to the spinal cord injury she'd already suffered. The rest of her body followed shortly after as she was sent skidding across the hallway floor.

Once she’d come to a complete stop, Lacera strained to raise her head toward her enemy. 

Blood was oozing its way out from between her teeth as she did so, but regardless, her lips split into a wide smile. She had managed to pull it off.

Kor didn’t notice his opponent’s expression as he was too busy dealing with the short crossbow bolt that lay embedded in his thigh. The small arrow had managed to find a weak spot near the knee joint and gone all the way through his leg, only stopping thanks to the armor on the other side.

Suddenly, a new rush of pain shot through Kor’s nerves and he gripped his limb in agony as dozens of barbs sprouted from the metal rod and bit deeply into his flesh. 

Undaunted, however, the red-armored Lombax simply grit his teeth against it and fought his way back to his feet.

Though his leg may have been burning with pain at the moment, Kor was sure that his opponent had gotten the worst of their encounter. He looked up at Lacera’s still unmoving body a short distance away.

Kor took a step forward and then finally noticed the smile on his opponent's face, just as a light on the tail of the bolt in his leg lit up. 

In the distance, Kor's ears picked up the sharp clang of something metallic. A couple of seconds later he heard a high-pitched screech from somewhere beyond the walls which seemed to grow louder until it was right above him. 

Reacting on instinct, Kor dove just in time to avoid a flying metal buzz saw that appeared suddenly and just passed over his head, before slicing right through a wall and disappearing from sight again.

"Hahaha..." laughed Lacera weakly with her head hung awkwardly to one side, "gotcha."

Kor leapt up from the ground and raised his Malleus wrench threateningly, but again his ears picked up the clang of something metal. A moment later another buzz saw blade came zipping down at him.

Knowing what was coming, this time he dodged it easily, but a third blade burst from a wall behind him before he could react and dug itself deeply into his arm, cutting through his armor with terrifying ease. 

Kor howled out in pain through his helmet's speakers and he gripped his arm tightly. 

Gritting his sharp teeth even tighter against the agony, he then reached up and ripped the metal disk out of his body before tossing it away and turning to his opponent once more.

Lacera couldn't see out of the eye on the side that had been hit, but she was thoroughly enjoying Kor's frustration as she watched the scene through her remaining good one. She smirked mockingly up at Kor as she felt her nanites repairing her neck and fractured skull.

Kor stomped toward Lacera yet again, but she raised her arm and pointed at him with the one-handed, mag-accelerated crossbow that she was still holding. Kor watched as she pulled the trigger on the weapon.

At first, he had thought that she’d suffered brain damage and that she was unaware that the weapon had already discharged its bolt. That thought quickly disappeared, however, as he heard yet another clang of metal off in the distance.

He growled angrily as he looked down at the glowing spear in his leg and connected the dots. He turned back to his opponent and tried to decide whether to avoid the next round of disks or just finish his enemy off for good right now. 

In response, Lacera began rapidly pulling the trigger on the spear gun and Kor heard a metal clang for every squeeze.

With one last growl of irritation, Kor spun around and dove away as a disk came sailing in to try and bury itself in him. He scrambled back up to his feet and took off at a full sprint as half a dozen more blades zipped toward him from all around. 

The spinning weapons burst randomly from walls and barricades or the ceiling, before very nearly slicing parts of his body clean off, never giving him a moment’s respite.

Lacera watched him go and leaned her throbbing head back against the rough, dust-strewn floor. Every few seconds she would squeeze the trigger of her crossbow again, just to keep her opponent busy. 

There weren't many more blades left in the disc launcher that she'd set up earlier, but still, there should be enough to buy her the time needed for the feeling in her extremities to return.

This fight was far from decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fallo - Is the Leader of the Gold Bolts. He received entry into Nova Academy with average combat skills and a mildly advanced tactical mind. Since meeting the monstrously talented students of Nova, however, he’s taken to using underhanded and even downright dirty tricks to advance his level. This is ‘not’ against Nova Academy or Military Field etiquette, however, as all methods are fair in war. ‘Fallo’ means to ‘deceive’, ‘cheat’, and ‘mislead’ in Latin.


	13. Kor Vol'terran, The Crimson Reaper

A motion sensor tripped on the route to the third node’s location. The second it did, defenses all throughout the area went active.

But these weren’t like most of the other defenses in the Depot. They didn’t attack or open fire immediately. Instead, they simply kept hidden and waited for a command. 

While they did this, they also fed live audio and video of the two Lombaxes that had set them off in the first place back to some location deeper in the Depot.

"I still don't see why you had to slap me?" said one unhappily.

"You wouldn't wake up, so I had no choice," countered the other unapologetically. "You're always asleep, we should call you Sloth instead of Weasel."

The Lombax, who was wearing blue armor, growled in annoyance, "I don't even like being called ‘Weasel’. Why do you guys keep saying it?" he demanded.

"Because that's what Kor calls you and I think it's funny," laughed the second one, who was wearing gold-colored armor.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense since you do everything that crazy walking suit of armor tells you to," quipped back Weasel. "We should just make him the leader. He seems to be making all the decisions anyway."

The gold-armored Lombax suddenly reached out and grabbed hold of the other by their collar before sharking them angrily.

"No, I don't!" shouted the attacking Lombax. “The leader of the Gold Bolts is me, Fallo… you got that? No one else!”

"Ow ow ow, ok, ok, I get it,” submitted Weasel desperately.

Fallo, still looking unhappy, released his subordinate, "Anyway," he began again, sounding grumpy and out of breath, "we're only going to the third node now because ‘I’ figured out that one of those Tough Nuts is missing. That means they're probably heading for the third node as we speak. If they can get past the defenses then they'll win the match, so we need to stop them as soon as possible."

Weasel huffed in disbelief and annoyance, "Then what about the second node?" he demanded. "We just left it uncaptured while those two fought."

"Our deal with Kor is that he can fight anyone he wants, the way he wants, so long as we don't lose the match," answered Fallo, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as his teammate. "If he wants to fight The Mad Queen all by himself, then let him. We just need to make sure that the third node doesn't get captured in the meantime."

"Alright, fine," conceded Weasel. Then, after the blue-armored Lombax thought for a bit, he continued, "Maybe we can let whoever the Tough Nuts sent to the third node clear the defenses for us and then just take it from them when they’re exhausted,” he added optimistically.

"Now you're thinking like a Gold Bolt," replied Fallo in a now cheerful voice.

* * *

Kaden sighed as he finally looked up at the holo-monitor, away from the open guardbot head that he was tinkering with, and studied the two Lombaxes on the screen.

It was clear that he wasn’t going to get much more information out of these two idiots, not that they’d provided much anyway. At the very least, though, he knew that Lacera was fighting Kor now. 

He had been out of the loop since he’d cut his radio connection, so as not to give away his position to anything that might have been looking.

If Lacera won her fight with Kor, that would be a disappointment personally, but not the worst case scenario. If she lost, on the other hand, his agreement to give her and the other Tough Nuts first crack will be fulfilled and he could finally take on his enemy the way he wanted. All he had to do was wait to hear who took the Depot’s second node over the speaker system.

Kaden typed out a long list of commands in his gauntlet console, alongside his NID, before he returned to his work on the robot head.

There was, however, one other thing Kaden had learned from the two Gold Bolts.

It had sounded like, besides Kor, they were the only two remaining members of their team.

Which meant that Kor was the only one left.

* * *

A beam of light erupted from somewhere out of the darkness, striking Fallo along the jawline.

The attack wasn’t fatal, but it did sever the chinstrap to his helmet.

The Lombax himself fell to the floor in surprise, squealing in pain, as Weasel scanned the area with his gun to see where the shot had come from. He could see nothing.

“What in council’s name was that?” demanded Fallo as he bit back more squeaks.

“I don’t know,” insisted Weasel in a terrified voice as he continued to scan the area, “I’ve never seen anything that accurate in the Depo-”

But Weasel’s words were cut off by the sound of whistling coming from somewhere out of sight.

The whistle grew louder until suddenly, a rocket came bursting out from a doorway to the side and straight for the unlucky pair.

The two Lombaxes opened their eyes wide in horror and tried to run, but it was too late. The missile landed right between them and detonated, blasting them away from each other several meters in either direction.

Next, the room was filled with hundreds of rounds of laser fire that lit up the area to the point of almost being too bright to see anything.

After only a few seconds of fire, two bright flashes of blue light joined the display and the lasers stopped.

When the smoke cleared, the only thing that remained of the two Gold Bolts was the combat helmet that rolled gently back and forth on the concrete floor.

* * *

Alister climbed the stairwell quickly, but cautiously, unsure of what awaited him at the top. 

He came out onto the alcove platform above and began to look around for signs of his enemies or allies alike, but he didn't see any evidence either. He did, however, hear the sounds of a Seeker Saw launcher going off from beyond the office section entrance. 

This told Alister that there was fighting still going on deeper in the depot. Alister's first instincts were to head toward the sound of fighting and see if he could offer any aid, but he stopped when his eyes fell on the unguarded second node.

He could easily capture the node right now, completely unopposed. The Tough Nuts had already captured one node and if they gained one more, they would take the victory and the match would end. He was very tempted to do it too, but he also knew that the Tough Nuts were after a different kind of victory.

Taking in the situation, with no one left standing on the alcove, Alister came to the conclusion that the Tough Nuts must have had the upper hand. 

The only way the fight would have moved into the office section was if someone had retreated in there and their opponent had followed. Had Lacera been the one to retreat, Alister was sure that the Gold Bolts would have held position to take the node. Lacera and the Tough Nuts were the only ones he could think of that would abandon it to attack their opponents.

For this very reason, he knew that taking the second node and ending the match would probably enrage his teammates more than anything. 

Suddenly, the rhythmic clanging of Seeker Blades being deployed ceased. A few seconds later a loud explosion resounded out from the maze of offices and hallways beyond.

Clearly, Alister had only one option. Pulling his weapons up to their ready positions, the white-furred Lombax began to make his way into the unknown area, towards the sound of destruction.

* * *

Lacera stood with her Shard Reaper in one hand and the crossbow in her other. She pulled the trigger on the unloaded weapon for the twenty-fifth time and dropped it.

The launcher Lacera had set up would now be out of Seeker Blades and so she pulled out her KatomniWrench with her now empty hand and waited with her back against a pillar. Seconds later, a loud explosion echoed through the office area.

She smiled to herself as she marked the location that the sound had come from. Explosive Seeker Blades were a fairly expensive upgrade, so she had only put one of them in her launcher. It was always the last one in the clip because she had figured that, if there was ever a need to pull the trigger twenty-five times, then whoever she was fighting deserved a little extra something-something. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for her forward thinking.

The numbness that had run through her body after she took Kor’s Impact Drivers to her head had almost completely worn off now and both her neck and back had recovered for the most part. The vision in her one eye was still a little hazy and she felt her head leaning slightly at an angle, but they were healed enough for her to fight with.

Swiftly, she moved toward the explosion with her Shard Reaper at the ready and her ears flicking back and forth, listening carefully for the sounds of danger. 

After covering a few short hallways, she turned a corner and found herself in an area that was filled with scorch marks. 

The barricades and walls around her also showed signs of explosive damage. This area must have been the epicenter of the blast from her last Seeker Blade. A closer inspection showed several drops of blood and a few shavings of red metal.

With renewed determination, Lacera tracked Kor's blood trail through the maze of offices and barriers until she peeked around the entrance to a large conference room. 

This room had clearly seen combat in the last few CtD battles and its shattered walls were now mostly haphazard barricades fitted to the remaining support pillars. 

That wasn’t the most interesting thing about it, though. Kor himself stood at the opposite end of the room. His wrench was planted firmly in the ground and he stood behind it with both hands resting on its handle while his expressionless eyes stared blankly back at her as if waiting.

Lacera kept her Shard Reaper trained on the red figure as she studied him carefully. Kor stood perfectly still, but his armor was covered in a hefty amount of scars and dents. There was a particularly large gash in the side of his helmet that ran frighteningly close to his eye lens.

Blood was leaking from a few of the fresher wounds and the trail she had been following led right to his feet. Lacera was sure that this was the real Kor that stood before her and not another decoy. She also knew that she should just pull the trigger on her weapon and engage at long range, but she was intrigued by her opponent's behavior.

Lacera took a step forward with her weapon still raised, "What are you playing at?" she asked suspiciously.

Kor tilted his head slightly to one side without moving any other part of his body, "I've grown tired of this," he explained metallically through his helmet. "I had hoped to compare my skills to yours directly, but this whole challenge has devolved into a game of hide-and-seek."

Lacera took a few more steps forward, "Combat isn't just about swinging a wrench," she lectured. "How well you play the game is just as important."

Kor remained quiet for a few seconds as he contemplated her words, "Still," he continued, "I would prefer a cleaner challenge than this… and I had hoped that someone of your talent and skill would agree?"

Lacera shook her head, but without taking her eye off Kor. His was a naïve way of thinking about combat. It was something most warriors believed in their early years and it stood in sharp contrast her perception of him so far. 

However, after thinking about it, Lacera reminded herself that Kor was still a Fuzzy, even if his skills were on par with hers. She wasn't really sure how she felt about that, but she ‘did’ know that she couldn’t allow this fight to go on for much longer. She was running low on both Nanotech and ammo.

Slowly Lacera lowered her Shard Reaper and replaced it with her other KatomniWrench, "Very well," she said as she took another step forward. "We'll finish this here. Just don't regret that choice."

Kor nodded. 

A moment later an explosion went off behind Lacera that shook the room. She didn't turn to look, but she heard the rumbling sound of metal and concrete collapsing over the entrance that she’d just come through. 

The leader of the Tough Nuts smiled wryly as she realized that the clearing she now stood in had only one other entrance besides the one behind her, but it was already clotted with debris. After the rumbling stopped, she assumed that the passage behind her was likely now sealed as well.

"Worried I'll run away?" she asked calmly.

"Of course not," answered Kor honestly and with equal calm. "I don't doubt your word, but had you refused my offer and pulled the trigger on your weapon… I would have pulled the trigger on mine," he explained before tossing a small, used detonator switch that he'd kept concealed in his hands, onto the ground at his side.

There was a long pause of silence. 

Then, Lacera started to laugh. She couldn't help it, there was just so much to laugh about. Here she was thinking of Kor as naïve and yet he had predicted that she would follow him to this spot and had laid a perfect trap in such a short time. Even more hilarious was that she was only still alive right now because Kor wanted some kind of knight's showdown, which was the most naïve way of thinking she could imagine.

_ 'What is Kor Vol’terran?' _  she found herself wondering. Lacera's laughter subsided and she shook her head again with a large grin on her face, "You know, I was hoping to take your charred hide as a get-well present for my little sister, but now..." she began as she relaxed her body into her combat stance, "I think I'll crack open your armor just to see what's underneath."

Kor bowed forward slightly to his opponent before lifting his wrench from the floor and sweeping it out to his side in his own fighting stance, "Try it if you can," he replied.

Then Kor rushed forward and swung his wrench in a heavy, one-handed, sideways slice, while his other hand was held ready to deliver a follow-up strike in case his opponent dodged the first. 

Lacera saw him coming and blasted herself straight up into the air with her jumpboots.

Kor's wrench cut through the air under her as she swung one of her wrenches down to meet the glowing fist that had come up in her pursuit. 

Sparks flew as the Kinetic Manipulators energizing her KatomniWrench collided with the Impact Drivers on Kor's fist. Lacera then swiftly brought down her second wrench and drove it straight into Kor's armored face. The large gash in his helmet widened and new cracks began branching off of it. They spider webbed the side of his helmet and even reached across his crystal eye lens.

Kor's head was knocked backwards from the impact, but his body didn't leave the fight. In one smooth motion, he released his wrench's handle and grabbed Lacera's ankle instead. Then, with amazing strength, he threw her sideways into a pillar. 

The breath was knocked from Lacera’s lungs as she slammed into the concrete column. She didn't even have time to catch it again before Kor snatched up his wrench once more and swung it towards her. She barely managed to roll away just before the oversized weapon took a large bite out of the pillar she’d left behind.

The leader of the Tough Nuts quickly got back to her feet and faced off against Kor as he charged again. This time he brought his wrench high up over his head and then back down with immense power. 

Lacera, with perfect timing, stepped inside the swing and drew her Shard Reaper in the same motion. Kor released his wrench and tried to wrap his arms around Lacera in a crushing bear hug, but she had already put the barrel of her gun into his ribs.

Lacera pulled the trigger and Kor was blasted sideways. Hardened Trillium, fired at such a close range, went through his armor like paper and shredded the delicate organs underneath. 

A sharp, mechanical grunt of pain echoed from Kor's mask and Lacera felt a tinge of satisfaction.

As Kor flew away, carried by the force of the Shard Reaper blast, his hands passed by Lacera's face. As they did she spotted the glowing barrel of his Pollux pistol grasped firmly in one of them. 

Lacera had just enough time to recognize the situation and gasp in surprise before the weapon fired. A large orange ball of energy belched from the weapon and slammed into her gut, throwing her backwards across the floor and into a barricade.

Both combatants now lay on opposite sides of their office-arena. Kor felt his Nanotech repairing dozens of tiny rips and holes throughout his internal organs. 

Many of the shards had remained inside him and he knew they would require a lot of medical treatment to remove, but that didn't matter now. The important thing was that they were small enough that his wounds could be repaired over them for the moment and that he could still fight.

Lacera fought off her urges to cough as she knew how bad they'd interfere with her scorched abdomen. Her armor had dissipated most of the heat, but a small hole had been burnt through it at the focal point of the energy weapon's attack. 

She could feel her Nanites rapidly dissolving and replacing the scorched meat of her stomach and intestines. The smell was acrid, but ultimately her main concern was how much Nanotech the wound would take to heal. Burn wounds weren't especially fatal, but they were widely damaging and each cell had to be replaced with an entirely new cell of Nanotech. 

There was also the fact that she now had a hole in her armor, which meant she would have to keep her abdomen guarded.

In both combatants' cases, neither could move until their Nanotech finished repairing them or they risked ripping the delicate seals being made. This, however, didn't stop Kor.

The red-armored Lombax slammed his fists into the ground and fought his way back to his feet. He could feel the metal shards scraping around in his guts, but he ignored them. 

He managed to get back on his feet and take two steps toward Lacera. 

As he did, he tried to raise his Castor pistol, but the effort proved too much and many of the tiny patches across his organs burst open again, forcing him to his knees again in pain.

"Keep your fur on, junior," mocked Lacera through gritted teeth. "The party isn't over and we’re not done dancing yet."

Kor growled in frustration as he pressed his helmeted forehead against the floor and wrapped his arms painfully around his waist, "I will crush you!" he roared through his helmet in agony.

Lacera coughed out a laugh, "Come on now handsome, don't go making a lady promises you can't keep."

* * *

Alister had heard a second explosion a minute ago and was just now arriving at its source, where the doorway to a large office room seemed to have caved in. 

As he examined the wreckage he heard noises coming from the opposite side of it. He listened more carefully and could make out the ringing clang of metal striking metal.

Alister was sure that the sound was coming from within the large office space, but when he tried to circle around it, he came all the way back to where he had started without finding an entrance. He was beginning to wonder if maybe the area had been sealed off. 

Not wanting to just blow up a wall without knowing what was on the other side, Alister began to circle around again in search of a way to see beyond it, and small hole or gap that he could peak through.

He soon found what appeared to be another caved-in entrance to the room. It was not a doorway like most, but rather a large hole that had been blasted out of the walls during some older battle and then filled in with new rubble from the ceiling.

Here, however, there was a small opening where a hole was just big enough to look through. 

Alister's eyes grew wide as he saw what lay beyond. He could clearly see Lacera and Kor fighting head to head in a display that was both mesmerizing and horrifying.

Both of them showed signs of harsh combat. 

Kor, in particular, was sporting a few gruesome looking gashes that had likely been made by the mono-molecular edge of a Seeker Blade. Even with the red color of his armor, the splatters of dried blood that had escaped the wounds were clearly visible on his body. Holes and dents covered the rest of him.

As for Lacera, her armor showed only a few points of damage, but they told a brutal tale of how critical those strikes must have been. A huge dent in her armored back could have only been caused by a direct hit from Kor's Malleus wrench. There was also the damage to the side of her helmet that looked almost equally unpleasant, not to mention the large burn mark on her abdominal armor.

Alister winced at the thought of how painful any of those wounds must have been. 

To her credit though, Lacera showed almost no evidence that any of it bothered her. Her movements were swift and precise and not a single motion was wasted as she avoided Kor's attacks while simultaneously counter attacking with her own. She scored several glancing blows that, while impressive under the circumstances, didn't seem to faze Kor at all.

Then came Kor's retaliation. 

Swinging his Malleus wrench with full force into the ground, Kor ripped the concrete floor apart. Cracks formed around the impact site and immediately expanded out into chunks of rock that rose out of the ground around Lacera's feet. The sudden change in footing made her lose her balance for a precious few milliseconds, but it was all Kor needed.

With all the speed of a viper, the red-armored Lombax reached up and took hold of Lacera's arm. Without hesitation, he turned on his heel and pulled his opponent bodily into the air before slamming her back down into the ground. 

As Kor then pulled back his other arm for a follow-up punch, Lacera stomped her feet up into his chest and fired her jumpboots. 

Kor was blasted backwards, but his grip on Lacera's arm threw him sideways instead, breaking the bones in her forearm before finally being forced to let go. 

Lacera got to her feet quickly, but her one arm now hung limply at her side. Kor's hold had not been lost easily, Lacera probably tore half the muscles in her bicep from forcing his vice-like grip off of it. Her Nanotech had already begun to reknit the muscle, but it would take time to recover fully and that was not something she had a lot of.

Kor was on his feet and once more in striking distance after just a few seconds, before the two of them were back at it with Lacera now entirely on the defensive. 

Alister continued to watch the two combatants fight with amazement. They moved so quickly and with such precision that his inexperienced eyes could barely keep up. He was beginning to wonder if he would even be a help at all.

Then, a sudden realization hit the white-furred Lombax. The realization that now was the time to intervene. 

Alister pulled out his Combuster and tried to line up a shot, but immediately gave up on the idea. He could barely keep up with Kor and Lacera’s movements with his eyes, let alone get a clear shot from the tiny hole he was peeking through. He would have to break down the barrier blocking the impromptu arena's entrance and join the fight by wrench.

Thinking quickly, Alister grabbed a demo charge from his holster and stuck it to the front of the collapsed entrance. He then pulled out a detonator switch and waved it in front of the explosive. There was a short beep as the objects synced together and the charge armed itself. He then moved a safe distance back and put his thumb over the trigger button.

But, just as he went to trigger the explosive, Alister’s finger froze in place above the switch. 

His breathing and heart rate increased and a rush of images suddenly filled his mind, the same ones he’d seen in his nightmares. Images of an inflamed Kor swatting him away as if he'd been nothing but an insect, the look of horror on Kaden's face at realizing he'd been defeated, the memory of running for his life immediately after, and of Kor's pistol rounds striking him in the back as he did. 

Now, a new vision appeared, the vision of Lacera being crushed by a seemingly unstoppable red monster… and of himself as well, if he joined the fight.

Alister's finger trembled a hair's breadth from the detonator's trigger. Cold fear cut through his adrenaline-charged mind as his conscious angrily ordered him to do his duty, while his subconscious survival instincts demanded that he escape while he can.

* * *

Lacera popped her arm back into its socket with practiced ease before bringing her attention back on her opponent. 

Kor had recovered as well and was coming at her again. 

Lacera then put everything she had on evading another hit. She was at a disadvantage now with her arm almost out of commission. Until her Nanotech could repair it to at least half-strength, she would have to be completely on the defensive. A wrong move here could put her at even more of a disadvantage and the whole situation would quickly snowball into her defeat.

This turning point in the fight also meant that her chances of victory had significantly decreased. Her only hope now was to find a way to end the match quickly with one big gamble. It was time to play her trump card.

Throughout her life, Lacera had always taken any weakness of hers and hammered it away until it was either gone or a strength. The case was no different for her most personal weakness. 

Gradually, as she'd grown up, Lacera had found that the standard armor for her body type didn't fit everywhere. In some instances, she had even been forced to wear boy's armor. It had been humiliating.

It was then that she had thought of a plan to use the extra space in her torso armor to her advantage. Honing her speed and skill at drawing weaponry, Lacera had become a legendary duelist among her peers. She could now draw her hidden blaster so quickly that most opponents never saw it coming.

She would have to rely on this secret weapon to end this fight. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, she would draw her gun and place its barrel straight into one of Kor's critical points. 

The spot that she’d had her eye on was the large gash in his helmet.

Kor, however, was giving her no openings at all. He was pressing the attack so intensely that she couldn't get a chance to use her good arm for anything but blocking. She would only get one shot at this attack, so it had to be perfect. 

All she needed was a brief pause in the onslaught to make her move… All she needed was a distraction.

A powerful blast ripped through the makeshift arena and slammed into the two combatants as pieces of metal and rock were sent scattering against the walls, into the pillars, and across the floor. 

A dingy cloud of dust filled the sudden, new hole in the conference room wall and from the smoke emerged a Lombax with white fur and a Combuster pointed straight at Kor.

Both Lacera and Kor were taken by complete surprise. They had both believed Alister to have been eliminated from the competition by now. 

Elation suddenly shot through the leader of the Tough Nuts like electric fire, this was her chance!

In slow motion, Lacera turned to face Kor while also reaching for her hidden blaster. She eyed the gash in his helmet like a hawk sighting its prey as her hand slid into the secret compartment in her breastplate and closed on the familiar grip of her custom blaster. The weapon slid free of its holster like water over oil and began to unfold into its combat-ready form during the brief few milliseconds it took to direct it at its target.

A wicked, gleeful smile cracked across Lacera's face as Kor's helmeted eyes slowly turned away from Alister and back towards her. She imagined the look of surprise that was likely playing out on the mysterious face underneath.

The trigger was squeezed on her pistol, the sound of a blaster shot rang out, and Kor's head snapped backwards from the force of the impact. 

Alister froze in place and his eyes widened in disbelief as the weapon’s report reverberated and echoed against the walls. 

A bright line of glowing hot metal had been drawn across the side of Kor's helmet, tracing the trajectory of the blaster bolt. It hissed as it cooled in the air and smoke began to drift lazily from it.

Nothing moved for a few seconds after that. The world itself seemed to be too stunned to make a sound.

Then, slowly, Kor began to raise his head until he was once again eye level with his opponent, "It was an honor," he said solemnly as the heat from the glancing blow to his helmet dissipated and the angry glow faded away.

Lacera stood completely still with her pistol clutched in her hands. She gulped back the blood that was welling in her throat as she slowly lowered her eyes to see a vibro-knife, its handle gripped in Kor's hand, and its blade planted firmly through the charred hole in her abdominal armor. 

What's more, she recognized the blade. It was the one she had given her sister Viscera as an academy entrance gift.

A blue orb icon lit up in Lacera's HUD, indicating a foreign intrusion was interfering with her Nanotech's ability to heal her or stop her bleeding. Her nanites instead focused on pain relief. 

As the leader of the Tough Nuts fully grasped her situation, she tried to aim her pistol again, but Kor immediately twisted the knife in her stomach when she did so. 

The sudden jolt of pain forced her to drop the weapon and grab the hand holding the knife reflexively, before her nanites could kill the newly firing pain signals.

Kor breathed out a slow, calming breath, which sounded like static through his helmet, "You should be proud… you put up an excellent fight," he said with a cold, mechanical voice.

Lacera raised her head again and looked straight into Kor's glass eyes as rage blazed in her own, while blood escaped from between her lips and dribbled down her chin.

"Eat… my… tail," she rasped before a bright blue light wrapped itself around her body. There was a sudden flash... and she was gone.

Kor stood perfectly still for a long moment as he studied the vibro-blade that had won him the match. He had taken it from a Lombax that he had previously mistaken for The Mad Queen, which he'd later found out was her sister. A perfectly acceptable thing to do in a war game.

The molecular makeup of the knife was designed to absorb any opposing force it came in contact with and vibrate it back out in a micro-oscillating motion that made cutting more efficient. He held it tightly in his fist as the blood of the second-strongest fighter he'd ever faced dripped from its blade.

Alister stood frozen in horror, his gun still raised, as he watched Kor flick the knife sharply in the air, causing all of the red liquid that coated its metal length to splatter against the floor. The blade itself was left completely unblemished and it sparkled brilliantly in the light.

Then, Kor bent down and picked something up. He raised it close to his emotionless face and studied the custom blaster curiously. It was smaller than a standard energy pistol and its design was simplified to allow quicker shifting from storage mode to combat mode. 

It was an excellent prize.

"I've forgotten your name," spoke Kor suddenly without turning away from the blaster. "But I remember your face," he added as his red, lifeless eyes slowly turned toward Alister.

Alister's heart was pumping furiously. His sense of security was shattered and fear permeated every fiber of his body. His finger shuddered just over the trigger of his Combuster, knowing that moment he pulled the trigger, ‘his’ fight with Kor would start. One he now knew he could not win.

_ 'Run!',  _ his mind screamed desperately, but his body refused to budge. He couldn't even blink or break his gaze from Kor.

Kor tilted his head to one side as he turned his whole body to face Alister, "Does this mean Kaden is the fifth member?" he asked casually.

All at once, the spell on Alister broke and he found himself sprinting away as fast as he could a moment later. There were almost no thoughts in his head. His mind was suppressing his consciousness to prevent the movement freezing fear from taking over. Instead, his instincts drove him left and right as he weaved through hallways and offices.

However, Alister had been so focused on escaping that he had run down an unfamiliar path and had lost his way. In the tight confines of the office maze, he couldn't use his hoverboots to escape, so, on foot, he desperately searched for a way out.

Suddenly, a wall to his side burst into pieces upon the impact of a Malleus wrench. 

Kor’s armored form appeared moments later and he made a grab for Alister. 

The terrified Lombax evaded the armored hand and continued on without pause.

But, only seconds later Kor appeared again, this time from around a corner just in front of Alister. 

Alister skid to halt and pulled three grenades from his holster in the same instant. He then took off running in the opposite direction, dropping explosives as he went. 

Kor was about to pursue, but noticed the hand-held bombs just in time to backstep and avoid the worst of the blast.

As Alister's frantic search for freedom continued, Kor repeatedly appeared and attacked from any direction at any given moment. At each encounter, Alister barely escaped, but no matter how many grenades he used or how many gun blasts he fired, Kor was never thrown completely off his tail. Alister was now fighting off panic with his military training and adrenaline alone.

Finally, with one last burst of speed, he broke free of the labyrinth and found himself back out onto the alcove floor. 

He hesitated for only the briefest of moments, as relief shot through him, before pressing on toward the edge to the platform. He wasn't even going to bother using the stairs, either. He was simply going to dive right off the edge and into space again, then glide down to the warehouse floor, before jetting away as fast as he could and heading for the third node.

Lacera was gone and therefore so was any chance she had of fulfilling her personal grudge against Kor. Alister didn’t need to beat Kor to win the match, he just needed to take the Third Node and then this nightmare would be over.

Just as a small feeling of hope touched his mind, something heavy slammed into the side of Alister’s head. 

Alister didn't remember hitting the floor, but when his vision came back to him he was lying sideways across it, a pair of red armored boots only inches from his face. 

Next thing he knew, Alister felt very strong, metal fingers wrap themselves around his neck. They squeezed tightly and pulled him up off the floor as if he were a ragdoll.

A second later, the white-furred Lombax was slammed against a pillar with enough force to almost knock him unconscious again. 

As his vision faded in and out of focus, Alister’s eyes captured an image of the black emblem emblazoned on the right pectoral of Kor's chestplate. It was a black silhouette of an eyeless, grinning Lombax with crossed Omniwrenches underneath.

Alister recognized the symbol from a video game he had once played, but any further thought on the subject was cut off as he was raised higher against the pillar and brought eye-to-eye with Kor's armored face. 

Alister's hands searched desperately through his grenade and weapon holsters, but there was nothing in them. He had expended every weapon he’d had just trying to escape the offices.

"What kind of warrior flees from his opponent?" demanded Kor coldly through his helmet's speakers. Alister didn't answer him, he merely stared back blankly. "Is Kaden the final member of the Tough Nuts?" Kor continued to question with an irritated hiss.

"F-final member?" rasped Alister weakly. Somewhere in his disarrayed thoughts, Kor's words struck a neuron.  _ 'How could Kaden be the final member?' _  he wondered.  _ 'Wraith and Torque were still out there... weren't they?' _

Kor tilted his head to one side and read Alister's expression, "You will make four," he said, pride evident even in his metallic tones.

Comprehension dawned on Alister's face and his eyes widened in disbelief. Kor laughed as he saw the expression this caused.

"W-what are you?" wheezed Alister through an exhausted mind and constrained windpipe.

Kor put his metal face within centimeters of Alister's, "I am a Crimson Reaper!" he declared proudly as he tapped the emblem on his chest with his free hand. "I seek the strongest of enemies to test my worth."

Alister didn't understand what Kor was saying. His mind was shifting away from consciousness, not just from the lack of oxygen in his system, but also from the fear of what was to come. 

The Tough Nuts were gone. Kor had crushed every member of a top-ranked team single-handedly and now he was going to do the same to Alister. The trapped Lombax’s mind went blank in an attempt to shield itself from the knowledge that any second now Kor would finish him off and then continue on after Kaden.

Kor growled metallically in annoyance as he watched Alister's mind escape from reality, "I have met great warriors today!" he barked viciously. "Warriors worthy of honor and respect, but you… ‘you’ have no purpose, no true will to fight. And yet, you come to this battlefield willingly, only to cower in fear, rather than face your demise with pride." 

Kor leaned forward and put his helmet's speakers right up to Alister's ear, "I've told you what I am, now would you like to know what you are?" he whispered softly.

Kor paused for dramatic effect, then he roared as he squeezed the fist around Alister's throat as tightly as he could, "You are weak!"

The sudden influx of even more pain brought Alister to alertness once more, but his shouts couldn't escape from his constricted windpipe as his hands scrabbled vainly against the massive armored fist that held him. 

As the seconds ticked by, feeling like minutes each, his movements slowed until his arms finally fell limp at his sides and his pupils dilated. A moment later Alister's body was wreathed in blue fire and in flash of light, he was gone. 

Kor's fist closed on thin air.

Kor stood still for a long time as his adrenaline high began to wear off. His breathing was heavy and a flood of pain and soreness from all of the hastily-repaired wounds and bruises suddenly hit him, but he regretted none of it. It had been a long, good battle and now he was a step closer to his goal.

When his breathing finally returned to normal, Kor turned to face the second node. 

While he personally would have preferred to finish the match with a Depot Ace (victory by defeating all five opposing team members), Kor was obligated by his words to Fallo to capture it.

Slowly, the red-armored Lombax made his way towards the platform as his joints and muscles protested the movement. His gear and suit felt heavier than they should have, considering how used to them he was. 

Eventually, he made it to the node controls and weakly went through the process of capturing it.

The panel turned green as Kor hit the final X button and an animatronic voice played over the Depot speakers again, "The Gold Bolts have captured node number two," it said flatly.

The node then turned red to indicate that the Gold Bolts had control of it. 

A moment later, two teleporter panels split from the node's sides and laid themselves flat against the ground. There was a flash of light before a crate appeared on each of them.

Kor immediately walked toward the glass box with the blue orb of suspended Nanotech floating inside. He smashed it open without hesitation and his armor immediately began to absorb the nanites. 

Seconds later the integration process was complete and Kor's body was filled to capacity with the tiny medical robots.

The remaining nanites not absorbed into his bloodstream quickly began to close the tears and rents in his armor. There wasn't enough to completely repair everything, so some of the deeper cuts were left unfinished, but Kor felt invigorated by the Nanotech refill. 

His armor was light again and he felt most of the soreness in his muscles fade away. He was ready to finish this fight. 

He then moved toward the ammo crate, but stopped when his comm. unit began to crackle with static.

Kor waited for a transmission, but nothing happened, "Fallo, what do you want?" he asked of the static with his own static-lined voice.

The rough noise of interference continued uninterrupted for a short time until it was finally broken by a strange voice, "Congratulations on capturing the second node," it said cheerfully.

The voice definitely didn't belong to Fallo or Weasel, but it somehow sounded familiar, "Who is this?" demanded Kor, his voice crackling in displeasure.

"I couldn't seem to raise anyone from my team on the comm. I guess that's a bad sign," continued the voice as if Kor had said nothing, but there was a barely noticeable twinge of anger in its tone now. "The owner of this helmet said that two Gold Bolts were already defeated… that makes you the last one standing."

Inside his helmet, Kor grinned broadly. He had a very good idea of who the voice belonged to now, "If you are the remaining Tough Nut, then you will soon join the rest of your team in the med-bay," said Kor challengingly.

There was a short pause before the reply, "I'll be waiting at the Third Node," Kaden said simply and then the comm. line went dead.

Inside his helmet, Kor licked the fangs of his mouth hungrily. There would be one more challenge to test himself against today. 

He could not believe his luck, as he lifted his Malleus wrench up high and swung it excitedly through the air before throwing it back across his shoulders and moving towards the ammo crate once again. 

From what little he actually knew of his last opponent, Kor was confident that there would be a plethora of tricks and traps waiting for him when he arrived at the Third Node.

The armored Lombax was looking forward to it, though. He would not be caught off-guard this time, he would not underestimate his opponent, but most importantly… this time, Kor was going to crush the tan-furred Lombax with his own two hands.


	14. Kaden's Fun House

Kor walked through the depot with his head on a swivel. Every so often he would stop and listen carefully to the silence before continuing forward. 

When he had first set out from the second node he had quickly picked up the trail of his missing allies. Guard bots lay destroyed and sparking all along the hallways and in the various rooms. He passed dozens of them as he moved steadily forward on his way to the third node.

_ 'At least they can kill a mindless machine,'  _ he thought to himself bitterly as he kicked the head of one of the disabled guards. It snapped clean off the robot's body and rolled away down the hall.

Kor kept all his senses at a heightened alert level, keeping in mind the warnings of his mother that he’d been given as he departed his homeland. He had already been harshly reminded of the warning to 'watch out for the clever ones' when he'd been caught in a trap during the MSE Tournament and he wasn’t eager to repeat that lesson. 

As he continued through the long corridors, scanning every surface for the slightest sign of a trap, the trail of destroyed robots led him to the staircase that would take him to the next section of the depot. 

Kor continued onward and very carefully climbed the stairwell. The only thing out of the ordinary about them was that there was no exit on the floor that should have led to the third node, there was just a wall where the doorway would have been.

Kor stopped to consider the situation. He placed his hand on the concrete barrier and felt its firmness. He doubted that the tan-furred Lombax could build such a pristine wall in such a short time for such a poor reason as to force him one floor higher. It was more likely that the Academy simply didn't want to give students a direct and easy route to the third and final node.

Had the Gold Bolt’s Demo Tech. survived, she might have tried going through the hard way. Lacking any type of powerful explosives himself though, Kor simply continued to climb higher up the stairs, even more vigilant than before. 

There were no more exits for the next several flights, which made sense since the third node was probably in another warehouse area. It was, however, likely that his fallen allies had been defeated sometime after this point. The stairwell was a perfect place for an ambush. 

Kor tightened the grip on his wrench and moved up one step at a time.

* * *

Nearly half an hour later Kor was moving through another corridor and nothing had happened yet. The trail of destroyed robots had continued when he'd reached the next floor, but had stopped shortly after. It was here that he'd assumed his comrades in arms had been defeated, but he could find no evidence of battle, aside from a large scorch mark on the floor. This meant that they’d been eliminated without much of a fight.

This had put Kor on an even higher alert, to the point of paranoia, as he expected an ambush to come at any second. 

However, the strain on his senses was beginning to wear on his mind. He was now more on edge than on alert. He kept hearing things to which he could find no source and his nerves were beginning to fray. 

He hadn't even seen a Depot defense, be it bot or gun emplacement, since the dead robot trail had stopped. This was unusual in and of itself. 

Suddenly, Kor’s overtaxed eyes registered the hint of movement.

Blinking hard to make sure the image he'd seen through his helmet's lenses wasn't another mirage, Kor swiftly, but carefully, moved toward it. 

After several minutes of searching, however, he’d turned up nothing. He was about to blame his own senses for failing him when he suddenly spotted another glimpse of movement.

This time he headed for the source immediately, moving as quickly as he dared toward the corner of the hallway intersection where he’d seen it. 

But still, he found nothing. 

Then, just like before, he caught another glimpse of movement. ‘Again’ he chased it and ‘again’ he found nothing. 

With frustration seeping into every thought in his mind, Kor refocused himself and pressed onward, desperately searching for the smallest trace of movement.

This, however, was a problem. 

Kor's mind was now so focused on spotting signs of movement that it didn't even register the Lombax standing in the doorway to the next room. 

Kor's heart skipped a beat when he finally recognized the figure and swiftly drew his pistol, but the figure was gone by the time he’d brought up his weapon.

Kor growled angrily and was about to pursue when his helmet radio crackled into life, "Well that's disappointing," said Kaden's voice in mock sadness over the intercom. "I was standing within view for a full 1,234.3 milliseconds before you even noticed... I was expecting better."

Kor fought to control his temper at being mocked. It was all the more angering though, that he agreed with Kaden's assessment. He was ashamed of his own performance.

"Come out and fight me!" he shouted with his helmet's own speakers turned up to full. He hadn’t activated his radio, curious to see if his opponent could hear him without it.

There was a long pause where only silence greeted Kor, then Kaden spoke again, "I guess I'll have to, since you can't seem to find me," he answered with a humorous tone. "Don't worry, I don't intend to drag this out too long."

"Don't believe I will just walk into one of your traps this time," retorted Kor resolutely. "You won't win on tricks alone."

"Well, I don't intend to," replied Kaden casually. "You see, I've been trying to figure out the best way to pay you back for the MSET and I think I’ve found the perfect way. I am going to beat you, one on one, just the way you like to fight and it will burn worse than any defeat you’ve ever felt."

Now it was Kor's turn to be amused, "You… beat me? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," he laughed.

"Laugh while you can..." warned Kaden before the radio went dead and all was silence once more.

Kor wasn't willing to believe that someone who relied purely on wit and cunning would ever face him head-on in a match of skill. The tan Lombax was clearly trying to mislead him, so now he just had to avoid getting caught by whatever was lying in wait and then overcome it to claim victory.

The best move Kor could make for the moment was to check as many rooms as possible for hidden danger. Kaden would likely try to lure him into an area with some kind of trap or put him at a disadvantage, but if Kor could find signs of it first, that would ruin the tan Lombax's plans and force him to either fight or run.

However, as Kor turned into the next room to begin his mission, he found Kaden standing resolutely in another doorway on the opposite side. A calm expression was on his face and a wrench was gripped tightly in his fist. 

The tan Lombax didn't run away this time, not even when Kor pointed his blaster at him reflexively. In fact, Kaden even took a challenging step forward and got down into a fighting stance to show his resolve.

Kor tilted his head as he studied his opponent carefully. This was not what he had expected. From what he remembered, the tan-furred Lombax was only a novice in wrench combat. 

When the two of them had last fought, Kor was in Inferno mode, but that only increased power output and did nothing to improve skill or reflexes. Kaden had wielded his wrench while Kor fought with fists, but his opponent could barely defend himself from his onslaught.

"What's the trick?" Kor questioned aloud suspiciously. 

There had to be something more to this. Was this room booby-trapped like he'd suspected, or had Kaden actually improved his fighting skills?

Kaden did not respond, though. Instead, he charged forward. 

Kor responded with his own attack stance reflexively and moved forward to meet him, but he didn't drop his suspicions. His eyes swept the area of the room diligently. 

He knew there was going to be some kind of trap, but from where? The floor, the ceiling, the far wall? None of the surroundings showed any signs of tampering or danger, so then where?

As the two combatants closed within striking range, Kor's natural combat instincts began to take over. He looked to his opponent's eyes for clues of their next move, but something was off. Kaden's eyes seemed to be ‘too’ focused.

The last time they'd fought, the tan Lombax's eyes were like insects. They jumped around rapidly in their sockets as they analyzed every single aspect of their surroundings while calculating every possible move and countermove. 

These eyes, however, were blank, as if they weren't even alive.

Recognizing the danger, Kor dug his feet into the ground and halted his movement. He managed to then push off backwards just as Kaden's wrench came in for an attack. It was at that moment in which Kor also noticed that the sounds of footsteps were coming from Kaden's chest and not the floor.

Kaden's body suddenly flickered and distorted, eventually disappearing altogether, leaving behind only a floating, metallic orb that hovered at chest level. 

A moment later the object exploded, sending out a shockwave of fire and shrapnel that slammed into Kor, knocking him to the ground and peppering his armor with hot metal debris.

When the smoke had cleared, the red-armored Lombax carefully got to his feet and prepared for a follow-up attack. 

But nothing else moved and no other sounds could be heard. 

When it appeared as if nothing else was coming, Kor then relaxed his muscles and flexed each of his joints to check that his body and armor were undamaged. It would seem that he had escaped the worst of the blast.

There was a small crater in the ground where Kaden, or whatever the thing was that had been designed to look like him, had been standing. Kor examined the hole and shook his head in amazement. 

The Magnaronian warrior had seen many new things during his time with the Demari Lombaxes, but their technology and ingenuity never ceased to amaze him. He had been incapable of seeing the fake for what it was until the very last moment and it had almost cost him dearly.

Kor’s radio then crackled into life again, "That was impressive," complemented Kaden's voice, sounding almost sincere. "How did you know it was a fake?" 

Kor didn't respond, he just stood in the room, waiting for whatever was to come next. 

"Fine, have it your way," Kaden continued.

As the tone of the radio cut out, another Holo-clone stepped out of the same doorway where the first had come. Its dead eyes stared emotionlessly forward just like its predecessor. 

Then, it too charged at Kor.

"I've seen this trick," shouted Kor as he drew his Castor pistol and targeted the fake Kaden's chest, aiming for where the orb within should be. 

The shot rang out as he pulled the trigger.

A bolt of energy passed through the holographic form of the tan Lombax and hit the object underneath, but it did not explode. Instead, there was a sharp twang that followed and Kor's energy blast re-emerged from the holographic Kaden before zipping back to its source, striking the blaster from Kor's hand.

"What?!" hissed the surprised Lombax angrily as his pistol clattered to the ground with a smoking hole in its side.

The holographic Lombax had stopped running and the image of Kaden shimmered, before disappearing and revealing a cylinder hovering vertically where the exploding orb should have been. This cylinder was wrapped in bluish-green, glowing energy. A sharp blue line of light slowly rotated around it.

"Refractor Shielding," explained Kaden's voice over the radio. "It'll take any energy-based blast and throw it back to where it came from… so I wouldn't try that again, if I were you."

Kor was now holding his Pollux pistol up, fully charged, and aimed at the shimmering cylinder. He weighed his options in his head as he eyed the odd device, simultaneously kneeling down cautiously to pick up his Castor pistol. 

The Castor gun was damaged, but likely still usable.

Kor then decided to call Kaden's bluff and pulled the trigger on his Pollux pistol. 

An orange ball of energy spat from his gun’s barrel and burned its way through the air between him and the shimmering cylinder.

The plasma blast struck the floating object dead on and its blue shield flashed an angry red. Sparks flew as the Refractor Shield generator tried to contain and reverse the attack’s direction. 

Then, several seconds later, a deep twang resounded through the room and the burning ball of plasma came sailing back.

Luckily, Kor had the good sense to get out of the way, just in case Kaden was being honest, and the cylinder really could redirect his Pollux round. The shot zipped by him before hitting a wall he’d been standing in front of, blasting a large hole through it in a shower of stone. 

Kor stowed his pistols and hefted his wrench. He'd proved that the device was immune to his ranged attacks, but he doubted the shield could stop a direct hit from his Malleus wrench.

It was also likely that this new device had sacrificed its explosive ability in exchange for the Refractor Shield generator, so the chances that it would explode when he got close were small. Even if it could still explode, however, there were few other options for Kor at the moment. 

But, just before he attacked, the air around the cylinder shimmered once again and the holographic image of Kaden reappeared. 

Then, from behind the newly formed Kaden, casually walked yet another Holo-clone that came up to stand right next to the first one.

This was bad for Kor. The new Holo-clone was likely another explosive one meant to stop him from attacking at close range. With this combination, he needed to destroy the explosive clone before he could attack the refractor one. The fact that they were completely identical complicated things.

Kor had misjudged, however. The second Holo-clone instead began to shimmer and its Kaden hologram disappeared, revealing a hovering triangle with one corner pointed down and the other two points lined up along where the arms of the Kaden hologram had been. 

Offset slightly from each of the three corners, and fixed on an embedded swivel-orb, were gun barrels.

Kor had time to gasp in surprise at suddenly finding three blasters pointed at him. Then, the triangle Holo-clone opened fire. 

Kor hit the ground as three streams of energy rounds raked the air above him. He then scrambled to his feet and ran from the line of fire as the blasters stitched lines of holes in the floor and wall behind him.

To make matters worse, each blaster on the triangle could aim independently of the others. One of the three disengaged with its siblings in order to put a lead on Kor's movements, while the other two continued the chase. 

Kor saw the stream of blasts coming at him from the front and he hit the ground again, sliding underneath of it, straight through a doorway, and out of sight.

He was now back out in the hallway, but he found another Kaden was waiting for him. This one didn't bother to drop its hologram before another three streams of blaster fire chattered from its body. 

Kor evaded most of the salvo with his lightning-fast reflexes and made it to another room, managing to only receive a few smoking dents in his armor for the effort.

Here, he reflected on how this Holo-clone hadn't needed to drop its holograms to open fire. This meant that the first few were made to drop their holograms solely to show off the devices underneath. 

It was clearly an insult, a message to Kor that Kaden wasn't taking the fight seriously or using every advantage and opportunity he could get to win this battle.

"Swivel-mounted Tri-blasters," declared Kaden proudly over the radio, surprising Kor who was lost in thought. "For a standalone attack unit of that size, it's more efficient to have a powerful single blaster rather than multiple firing mechanisms, but then accuracy becomes much more important. Unfortunately, most AIs are pretty bad shots. However, ‘my’ brilliant design is actually a single, heavy blaster that is split by flux lines, giving you three times the shots for the price of one!"

Kor growled his annoyance, "What happened to actually fighting me yourself?!" he demanded. 

He hadn't actually expected Kaden to fight him fairly, but it was still annoying.

"Meh," answered Kaden dismissively. "I ‘did’ think that beating you at your own game would ‘really’ tick you off, but we both know that's not happening, so instead I figured you'll be equally, or hopefully ‘more’ angry, when I send you burning and full of holes to the infirmary, without even lifting a finger."

"You know-" Kor began, but he was cut off when a hail of blaster rounds was unleashed on him without warning.

His armor was hit in over a dozen places before he managed to get out of the line of fire this time. 

As he slipped around a corner to safety, a quick glance at the source of the attack revealed three streams of blaster rounds were coming straight out of the walls.

Kor then pressed his back against the wall and held his position behind his cover for a moment to process what he'd seen. A second later another holographic Kaden ran from the previous room in pursuit. 

Kor didn't hesitate to smash the Kaden with his wrench. 

Sparks flew as the hologram disappeared and a triangle gun platform skittered across the floor in pieces.

Kor breathed out a sigh of relief that this one wasn't an explosive Holo-clone. He then took another peek around the corner of the wall to find that there was now a doorway where the last barrage of blaster shots had come from. 

It then clicked in his mind that the Holo-clone at his feet was the one that had shot him and that it had been able to change its form to more than just a copy of Kaden. An ability that all of the Holo-clones likely had.

Wondered how much more of an irritation these Holo-clones could possibly get, Kor began to move, sweeping the area again. Not only looking for traps this time, for he now suspected that the tan Lombax had attempted to deceive him further when he’d declared he was hiding somewhere else. 

Instead, Kor was acting on the assumption that one of the holographic Kadens was actually the real one, just waiting for his moment to strike.

The red-armored Lombax then proceeded to find and destroy several more Holo-clones as he became more accustomed to reacting to and combating them. Some had even been disguised as walls, but he had remembered where most of the doorways were from the mental map of the floor he'd been making since he’d left the staircase.

Spotting another Holo-clone walking around aimlessly, Kor fired on it, only to have his shot deflected back at him. 

Realizing that it was a refractor clone, he then tried to close in on it to smash it with his wrench. 

It ran off when it saw him coming and Kor chased it around a bend. However, the Holo-clone that met him on the other side suddenly exploded in his face. 

His body now ached from the shockwave and subsequent collision with the adjacent wall that followed, but Kor pressed on.

Soon, the armored warrior had his engagement method down to an art. He moved through the halls with both his blasters raised. He would fire a round from each at any Holo-clone he saw and then immediately move away while switching to his wrench.

If the clone was a bomb, the Castor round would take it down before it could move any closer, if it was a Tri-blaster, the Pollux round would take it out before it could line up a shot, and, if it was a Refractor, then he'd be out of the return shot's path and have his wrench ready to throw before it could escape. 

After what felt like an hour of this, but was likely only minutes, Kor was starting to feel pretty confident. It had been a while since he’d taken any damage and the number of Holo-clone surprise attacks were happening less frequently. This led to his assumption that he was drastically thinning their numbers. 

Once again Kor turned a corner to find a Kaden standing in wait. He followed through with his strategy and fired both pistols. This was followed by a twang as the shots were reflected, but Kor was already out of the way and about to throw his wrench at it by the time the shots came back.

Before he could, however, another Holo-clone came up beside the first. This one began to shimmer like the first few clones he’d encountered had.

The Lombax hologram then dissolved and in its place floated a large box that only just barely fit in the tan Lombax hologram's artificial torso. 

Kor squinted at the object in confusion. The rectangular device looked like it was made up of around six smaller cubes.

With the clicking sound of a half-a-dozen latches disengaging, six vertical lids popped open, revealing the pointed noses of the short-ranged rockets behind them. 

Kor's squinted eyes suddenly flashed open with realization. In an instant, the armored Lombax had whipped himself around to face the other direction and was sprinting away as fast as he could in the next. 

The roar of rocket engines igniting then filled the depot floor as the small missiles were sent screeching through the air in hot pursuit of their target.

Kor weaved swiftly through the series of rooms and hallways at breakneck speed in a desperate attempt to outmaneuver the missiles. The rockets on his tail, however, had been designed precisely for close quarters maneuvering. They chased him around every corner and down every hall, blasting side-mounted stabilizers to control their trajectory. 

No matter how tightly Kor made his turns he couldn't seem to make them strike a wall by mistake.

Short of both breath and options, the pursued Lombax was struck with inspiration. 

Kor then turned another corner, forcing the rockets to slow down and re-adjust. He used this short delay to smash a hole in the nearest wall with his wrench. The opening was just big enough for him to jump through. 

The rockets quickly followed, but the hole wasn't big enough for all of them at once. One got pushed too close to the edge and struck it, detonating as its impact fuse was activated.

A huge fireball was born from the one rocket that then quickly engulfed and absorbed the others. The wall itself was ripped apart and huge craters were left in both the ceiling and floor. 

Kor himself was flipped completely head over tail by the blast and landed on his back with a painful thud.

His ears rang and his head was spinning as he fought his way back to his feet in the smoke and dust-filled room. It was hard to see anything and in his haste to escape the missile attack, he'd bashed his way into a room that he didn't remember clearing before.

Slowly, the dust settled and Kor could finally see where he was... but it wasn't good. 

Standing on the far side the room was another Kaden clone. It stared blankly at Kor as it waited for him to notice it.

Kor groaned with exhaustion. He was tired of these ridiculous copy-cat toys and he was tired of getting blasted off his feet every five minutes.

"And what does this one do?" demanded Kor, frustration obvious in his synthetic voice. 

Kor knew Kaden was still listening and was hoping that some stupid, egotistical explanation would give him time to catch his breath. But, no reply came and the Holo-clone simply stood perfectly still. 

Then... it blinked.

Kor’s helmet radio crackled to life and when Kaden's voice came over it, the Holo-clone's lips moved to match the words, "This one is actually just for commentary and sarcasm," it said.

The two Lombaxes stared at each other for a long few seconds. Kor watched as Kaden's eyes began to twitch rapidly alongside the sporadic thought processes and calculations that were going on in the brain behind them. 

The very thought that he had finally found the real Kaden and could now crush him once and for all was so blissful that Kor had to take a moment to enjoy it. 

Then Kor darted forward, before leaping into the air with his wrench held high. He would come down with enough force to break every bone in his target’s body with one strike.

As he did this, Kaden reached his arm back as if to throw something, but his hand was empty. 

However, as his arm continued through the motion, a soft glow sparked into life in his palm and by the time the throwing motion was completed, there was a burning ball of energy in his hand.

When the glowing orb left Kaden's grip, it didn't have far to go before it met its target. 

Kor had almost completed his Hyper-strike when the compressed, micro-nuclear reaction hit him full in the stomach and exploded.

Both he and Kaden were blasted backwards, but Kor got the worst of it. The armored Lombax was propelled upward and he slammed into the ceiling with incredible force. Cracks split the concrete roof from the impact, before his body fell back to the floor. 

Kaden came skidding to a halt, still standing and with his free hand covering his face.

"Oh, and it also throws mini-nukes!" shouted Kaden, before winding up for another throw.

Kaden, using the nanites he'd received from the Battleplex, had upgraded his Nuclear Fists to be able to generate smaller explosions at a much faster rate. He was able to combine that with the motion of his arm when throwing to increase the pressure in his palm and compress the energy, allowing him to release it like a baseball. He appropriately called this new attack a ‘Fastball’.

Kor gasped when he hit the floor and violently sucked in air through his rebreather. His armor was burning hot and he could feel Nanotech rushing to his stomach. 

He managed to look up just in time to see Kaden throwing another one of the strange explosives and managed to roll away just before it struck.

The Fastball then struck the ground and exploded, leaving a deep rent in the floor. 

Despite his close proximity to the second explosion, Kor was already getting back to his feet dangerously fast. Kaden then realized that it was time to go, the last thing he wanted was to be this close to Kor. He still had his repulsor fields to protect him, but even that couldn't stand up to a direct hit from a Malleus wrench.

Kaden turned sharply and sprinted away towards the far end of the room. At first it had looked like he would slam into the concrete wall, but instead, Kaden passed right through it.

Kor spotted the holo-projector sitting on the floor and realized it was projecting a fake wall over the only entrance to the room, minus the hole that he'd made himself. This was why he hadn’t found Kaden’s hiding spot during his mad dash through the depot floor.

Growling angrily and with an ever-greater burning desire to finish this fight, Kor took off after his opponent. 

As he passed through the threshold of the holographic barrier, however, he found a Tri-blaster Holo-clone standing just on the other side. It immediately unleashed a barrage of blaster rounds to cover the escape of the real Kaden who was running down the hall behind it.

Kor was too focused to even care, though. Bolts of energy bit into his armor in a dozen places, but he ran straight through the storm regardless. He was within striking distance of the Holo-clone a second later and with one, almost dismissive swing of his wrench, he shattered the floating drone and continued on without even slowing down.

The gap between Kaden and Kor was rapidly being closed now. Kor was much faster on foot than Kaden was and the tight confines of the area restricted the use of hoverboots. 

It was looking as if Kor was finally going to catch his prey when another Holo-clone jumped out of a doorway just ahead of him.

Kor had no way of knowing what kind of Holo-clone it was, but he had to take precautions for the worst case scenario. He dove out of the hall and into another room just before the floor shook with the force of an explosion. He then let out a short breath of relief at having narrowly avoided another one of Kaden's insane suicide machines.

The armored Lombax emerged back into the shattered hallway to find Kaden standing still at the far end of it. Without hesitation, Kor drew his Castor pistol and fired a round straight into his chest. But, a moment later there was a sharp twang as the bolt was sent zipping back at him.

Kor had already moved out of the way and avoided it easily, but his anger grew as he knew, with every step he took that wasn’t forward, his target gained precious seconds to escape. Now he’d lost track of Kaden altogether.

His first thought was that Kaden would hide amongst his holographic selves and try to execute a sneak attack, but Kor relinquished the thought. If his opponent hadn't done so at the beginning, when he hadn’t yet become accustomed to fighting the Holo-clones, then he doubted Kaden would have the tail to do it now that he was.

Instead, Kor thought of the most cowardly move his enemy could make and got his answer. 

With his trap failed, Kaden was likely heading for the large room at the far end of the floor. In that open area, he could use his hoverboots and be able to outpace his pursuer. From there, he'd likely continue on to the third node to end this fight without having to engage again.

Kor dashed off the moment he had his destination in mind. He ignored the Refractor clone completely and simply sped around corners and up hallways on a route along his mental map. 

In a few short minutes, he was at the doorway to the large open room and, just as predicted, only a few paces ahead of him was Kaden.

Kor grinned wickedly in his helmet. His prey had not escaped him yet.


	15. The Heart of the Spider's Web

Flames erupted from beneath Kaden's feet the moment he’d made it out into the open as his hoverboots ignited with a loud whoosh.

A second later he was speeding off to safety when a well-placed Castor round struck him in the foot. 

Sparks flew as the ion coil within his boot shorted out and the hiss of leaking coolant quickly reached Kaden's ears. With only one boot now providing all the thrust, the tan Lombax was sent spinning out of control.

Kaden quickly cut the power to his remaining hoverboot before hitting the ground and skidding to a halt. With one look, he knew his damaged foot-mounted jets were beyond repair, leaving him with the only option to stand and face his opponent. 

Kor was closing on him fast and Kaden knew the outcome of a close quarters fight, so he had to keep the distance between them no matter what. 

Getting into a pitcher's stance, Kaden reached his arm back and threw a Fastball with all his strength at his enemy. The blazing sphere of energy burnt a trail through the air, straight for Kor. 

The red-armored Lombax had been expecting it though, and he was easily able to avoid it. The sphere zipped passed his shoulder and exploded when it struck the wall behind him. 

However, only seconds later came another explosive orb… and another… and another.

Kaden was letting loose a furious torrent of Fastballs as quickly as he could. He aimed some directly at Kor, others at the location that he predicted his opponent would dodge to, and some he just sent straight into the ground at Kor's feet. 

The latter ones were sure to strike a solid object even if Kor could dodge them. The explosive force, though not direct, would hopefully knock the armored Lombax off balance with its shock wave at such close proximity. 

Using this strategy, Kaden scored several good hits. To even his surprise, Kor was being forced back and wasn't given a second’s respite to move forward. 

The masked warrior tried to return fire with his own ranged weapons, but he barely had time to bring them up. 

Even when he did manage to get a clear shot, his Pollux blaster was too slow and Kaden was easily able to dodge it, while his Castor pistol was too weak to break through the repulsor field that Kaden activated at a moment's notice.

Things were looking bad for Kor. For medium class armor, his G-83 armor was extremely thick and it absorbed most of the damage from the explosive attacks, but the constant flow of bombs was starting to take its toll. 

While Kor was able to dodge most of the Fastballs thrown directly at him, he could not evade them all. No matter how hard he tried, every few seconds his body was rocked with another powerful blast that he had failed to dodge completely. Cracks in his plating were starting to grow around the joints of his armor and from previously damaged sections.

Then, one lucky shot managed to catch him at just the right moment. 

While he couldn’t dodge it, Kor had managed to put his wrench up to block it and, while most of the damage to his body and armor had been negated, the force of the blow had knocked him backwards, pushing him yet further away from his intended target.

The battle was wholly one-sided, with Kor on the short end. The red-armored Lombax was slowly but surely losing both ground and nanotech, but he couldn't just abandon the fight and move for cover either. He knew that his opponent was the enemy that he would regret giving a chance to regroup the most.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, another Fastball suddenly struck the ground at Kor's feet. He was blasted sideways and sent grinding into the floor several feet away. Quickly, he picked himself up again, but another Fastball came to meet him while he was still on his knees. 

With no time to dodge or think, Kor grabbed his massive wrench by its neck and swung it reflexively at the incoming orb.

The oversized wrench struck the ball of energy dead center... but then something strange happened. 

The Fastballs that Kaden used were designed on the concept of compression-stabilized micro-nuclear reactions. The powerful nuclear material that fueled them was squeezed to the point of singularity, creating a micro-gravity well strong enough to hold the miniature stars together.

Then, when an outside force acted on the orbs, such as from an impact with a solid object, the singularity became destabilized and all of its energy was released at once.

However, the kinetic multiplier on Kor's wrench was so powerful that the force of the kinetic field it generated on contact the Fastball was able to re-compress the energy before it destabilized and even send it flying back from where it came from intact.

The re-compression factor from such a hasty swing was small though, and the orb destabilized and detonated just two meters from where Kor had struck it, but… the event opened up a new option for him.

Kaden watched his Fastball rebound from Kor's wrench with surprise, but he didn't have time to dwell on what he’d seen. He sent another volley of Fastballs burning toward Kor before the echo of the previous one had even settled. 

Kor rolled hard across the floor and dodged them skillfully. 

Then, he brought himself up to his full height, dug his feet into the ground, gripped his wrench in both hands, and waited.

Two Fastballs were already on their way towards him. 

The first struck the ground just off to his side and the resulting explosion shook every joint in his body and armor, but Kor didn't move an inch from where he stood or even blinked an eye. His focus was unwavering

The second orb was blazing through the air behind the first and directly at him. Timing it perfectly, Kor took a heavy step towards and slightly to the side of it, before swinging his wrench in a heavy, horizontal side sweep that struck the Fastball cleanly in its center.

With much more Kinetic energy to multiply, Kor's wrench crushed the Fastball even more than Kaden's initial throw had. Now at half its normal size, the Fastball came blazing back at Kaden with incredible speed.

But Kaden was no fool. The tan Lombax had seen the same thing that Kor had seen and had come to the same conclusion. 

It was easy to predict the Fastball's return trajectory based on where it was and where Kor was swinging. Kaden was able to smoothly step out of the way. 

The returned Fastball zipped right by him before exploding far into the distance. 

There was a short moment where Kaden considered stopping his attack due to the threat this new development posed, but when he turned back to his opponent, he found Kor was already sprinting towards him again, even with such a brief break in the barrage.

Kaden renewed the salvo of Fastballs, aiming most of them at the ground this time, and halting Kor in his tracks. 

Even with the new danger, Kaden calculated that Kor could probably only send back one out of every ten Fastballs that he threw at him, as the force needed to re-compress them enough that they could make it back across the distance to him took too much time to execute to do any more than that.

Kaden could easily calculate the trajectories of those few and avoid them. In the meantime, the slowly building damage to Kor's body from the other nine would eventually prove too much even for him to withstand.

And so, Kor was once again beset by exploding energy orbs. He dodged them left and right endlessly. 

Though most were now directed to strike the floor and decrease his chance of returning them, Kaden was still sending a few parallel with the ground. These few were aimed at the most likely direction Kor was to take when dodging the others.

As with all aspects of war, there were no perfect openings for Kor to retaliate, so a less than awful one was what he bided his time for. 

After eventually seeing what he hoped to be his pitch, the armored Lombax jumped backwards to avoid a previous Fastball's shockwave and planted his feet in preparation for another swing. He set himself up to put the incoming Fastball directly in his strike zone, even as another one was already headed for the ground just in front of it.

Kor simply had to grit his teeth and bear the punishing shockwave that whipped his body from the first Fastball as he waited in position for the second one to come. 

The explosion from the first Fastball also kicked up a large cloud of vaporized concrete that cut visibility, giving Kor mere microseconds to react to the sight of the ball’s glow emerging from the veil. 

In combination with his prediction of the sphere's path, he swung.

Kor's wrench slammed into the side of the Fastball and re-compressed it once again, sending it straight back to Kaden with an echoing crack of power. Kor let the feeling of the impact run down his arms and knew it felt like a good hit. It felt similar to the feeling he got when he cleanly shattered the bones and armor of his enemies, what he called the 'sweet spot'. It felt like victory.

As he followed through with his swing and the Fastball was sent whistling back through the dust cloud, another Fastball emerged from the wall of powder. Kor had just enough time to widen his eyes in surprise before it struck him directly in the shoulder.

Kor's shoulder guard was blasted clean off his armor before being sent skipping and smoking across the floor. 

Kor himself was blasted backwards into the ground with tremendous force. He felt pain as the heat that the remnants of his shoulder plate had absorbed burnt the skin and fur underneath it.

* * *

_ After eventually seeing what he hoped to be his pitch, the armored Lombax jumped backwards to avoid a previous Fastball's shockwave and planted his feet in preparation for another swing. _

Kaden watched as Kor got into his batter's stance and a small smile spread across the tan Lombax’s lips. 

He had been trying to come up with a solution to the current stalemate the two of them were stuck in and Kor's new move had, ironically, provided the answer.

Kor was forced to stay still in order to take his swing properly. Knowing this, Kaden had purposefully thrown a Fastball that was simply too enticing for his opponent to let pass, timing it alongside another Fastball that was intended to strike the ground.

The moment that the first attack exploded, kicking up the cloud of dust Kaden had been expecting, he launched another Fastball, with as much speed as he could squeeze from his arm, straight at where he was sure Kor would still be standing.

Sure enough, there was a sharp crack in the air, followed by one of Kaden's Fastballs re-emerging from the dust wall. The two Fastballs then passed within inches of each other, just in front of the smokescreen, and a single arc of energy jumped between them, before they separated and the youngest one disappeared from view.

There was a loud bang as the missing Fastball exploded on contact with something behind the veil and Kaden's smile grew even wider as he smoothly sidestepped the incoming one.

The recompressed ball of energy slid right by him, just as he'd predicted. 

Then it decompressed... a foot away from his face. 

The explosion ripped through the air at head height and slammed into Kaden before he'd even had time to recognize it had detonated. The tan Lombax was sent sliding backwards across the floor with burnt facial fur and cracks in his visor.

The world was hazy as Kaden collected his senses. He was having a hard time understanding what had just happened. 

According to his immediate analysis, Kor, having had only two previous experiences, had managed to put just the right amount of force into his swing to compress the Fastball so that it would destabilize and explode at the exact moment it was within range of Kaden.

However, Kaden refused to accept this conclusion at first. It was difficult for him to believe that his opponent possessed the kind of skill to pull off such a feat with so little practice. The tan-furred Lombax was halfway through dismissing the idea entirely and assuming Kor’s seeming mastery of his muscle control to simply be luck, when an orange ball of energy blasted its way towards him.

Kaden quickly rolled in evasion, but the Pollux round still struck the floor before he could get out of its blast radius. A taste of his own medicine he would have thought, if he’d had time to consider such a thing.

He was once again knocked down to the floor and had to fight to regain his footing. 

When he finally did, however, he found that Kor had nearly closed the distance between them. 

Kaden prepared to throw another Fastball, but the searing blast of a Castor round zipped through the air and stung his arm before he could. 

More shots were fired and the besieged Lombax was forced to activate his repulsor field, wrapping his arm in a disk of protective energy.

The white Castor rounds struck and fizzled against the barrier, but Kaden's heartbeat was racing as his mind quickly calculated the outcome of the next few seconds... an outcome that he could no longer change. 

Kor dropped his pistol just as he came within striking distance of Kaden, not even taking the time to re-holster it, as it was imperative that his tan-furred target not be given even a millisecond of respite. 

Kor then leapt into the air, gripped his wrench with both hands, and brought it down in a devastating Hyper-strike.

It was just as Kaden had feared. 

Sparks flew and the air filled with the angry hiss that poured out from the shield generators embedded in his gauntlets. A moment later, the wall of protective light that made up his repulsor field shattered like glass, giving way to the massive melee weapon which continued its downward journey with barely a delay.

Kaden had reflexively put up his other arm to guard himself as well, but the limb was also pushed aside with ease as Kor's unstoppable attack continued into Kaden's shoulder. 

Shoulder guard plate and collar bone alike shattered on impact as Kaden was sent flying backwards, before slamming into the floor for the third and worst time in the span of only a few seconds. 

Kaden's vision swam as he looked up through a badly cracked visor at the figure of Kor, towering triumphantly over his sprawled form.

The warrior’s armored chest plate heaved up and down repeatedly and the sound of heavy breathing through a respirator grated against the air. The ever emotionless mask stared down at Kaden with burning red eyes that never blinked.

Then Kor planted his wrench into the floor, "This is the end," he growled. 

Neither Lombax spoke for the next few moments; they just glared at each other while catching their breath. 

Then Kor spoke again, "I respect all forms of combat,” he began. “There are no rules in war and despite how much I disagree with your methods, I must acknowledge them. You are truly a dangerous opponent and for that, you have my gratitude."

Once again there was silence between the two opponents.

Kaden studied the words suspiciously, "Uh, thank yo- Gah!" he tried to say before Kor pressed an armored boot into his injured shoulder.

"But!" the red-armored Lombax bellowed down at him in metallic tones, "I am going to deeply enjoy crushing the very life out of your devious carcass… one strike at a time," he declared with what sounded like eagerness dripping from his static-filled voice.

Inside his helmet, Kor was actually salivating at thought of finishing, what had easily been the most exhilarating battle of his entire life, with a Depot Ace. And to top it off, he would finish it by finally putting Kaden in his place.

Kor's hand reached down and grabbed hold of Kaden’s armored collar as his other hand curled in and out of a fist as he flexed his fingers in preparation. Then the Kinetic Drivers on his knuckles began to glow lightly as they charged with power.

Kaden coughed violently as he tried to speak, "No," he rasped weakly, but defiantly. "You screwed up."

Kor laughed at his opponent as he looked over him once more, lying there, pressed under his boot, with arms spread brokenly out to his side, "Oh?" Kor questioned humorously as he leaned his head in closer, "and how is that?"

Kaden gulped back the pain and looked Kor straight in the eyes, "You… let me push the button," he said before opening his hand to reveal a detonator switch resting gently in his palm.

Before Kor could even process the situation, Kaden closed his fist back on the device. His index finger squeezed the arming trigger just before his thumb flipped open the switch guard on the top. 

Kor suddenly recognized his situation and saw the discrepancy in the order of events for the insult it was. However, the second he raised his hand reflexively toward the detonator, Kaden's thumb slammed down on the activation button.

Kor then had just enough time to release a single sigh that was a mix of frustration and exhaustion, before an echoing boom reverberated through the building. 

In a flash, the entire world was turned on its side. All sound was washed away completely in a sudden roar of noise and movement. 

The entire expanse of the room's floor was violently split into several enormous pieces of concrete that ripped apart from one another with the force of Kaden's demo charges, jutting up from all angles.

Then… everything fell.

* * *

Alongside the huge slabs of floor, the two Lombaxes both tumbled downward. 

Kor reached around desperately in search of purchase, but there was nothing but falling debris. 

Kaden, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm and focused on using controlled bursts from his remaining hoverboot to push himself out from under anything that might crush him when he hit the bottom, while also making sure to put some distance between himself and his opponent.

Almost fifty meters later the avalanche of material struck the ground. 

Kor had managed to grab his wrench from where it was planted in one of the massive slabs of flooring. He had held onto it with a grip like steel as the concrete block slammed into the ground and shattered, slowing his fall as it did.

The roar of thousands of tons of metal and stone crashing down filled the air and left no room for any other sounds. Kor’s world became a whitewash of noise and dust. When he finally reached the ground himself, he landed hard, but wasted no time in running out of the way as more colossal chunks of stone fell around him.

Further away, Kaden had successfully managed to blast himself clear of the falling wreckage and now tried to balance on one hoverboot while slowing his descent. He almost burnt out the ion coil trying to do so, making his landing even harder than Kor’s was, but the damage he suffered was minor and easily repairable.

The brunt of the avalanche subsided shortly after, but before the final stone had even touched down, Kor was already out searching for Kaden again. 

He wasn't going to let the crafty Lombax escape, not now, not when he had been so close to victory. 

As he ran in the direction he'd seen his opponent blast off through the air, he heard movement around him. 

Kor searched out the sound's origin quickly, but instead of his prey emerging from the veil of vaporized stone, the metallic body of a confused depot guard appeared. 

The armored Lombax disappointedly dispatched the robot in the blink of an eye, as if he’d just swatted away a gnat, and continued forward.

As he continued to move he found barbed wire fences and barricades like the ones on the outside of the depot along with more guards and mounted turrets.

The dust was still heavy, so none of the automatons ever saw Kor coming. They all died in a flash of sparks and a spray of scrap metal before they’d even had time to process the new input. 

Kor didn't care though. His only interest was Kaden.

* * *

Kaden hadn't moved much since he'd touched down. Part of the reason was the sprained ankle he'd received from the fall and the shattered collarbone he'd gotten earlier, both of which were still being repaired by his Nanotech. Another part of the reason was that he was in the center of a massive killing field.

The floor he and Kor had previously been fighting on was right above the warehouse that held the third and final node. Kaden had already scouted the area previously and was now familiar with its layout. 

These final defenses had been set up similarly to the ones outside the depot itself. The entire warehouse was full of turrets, barricades, bunkers, and guard-bots. There weren't any heavy units like the Beat-Alls or Colossi, though. It was just meant to be a battle of numbers and a bloody gauntlet of fortifications for anyone who wanted the prize.

Kaden's current plan was to wait for the dust to settle before he made his move. Once he got his bearing, he'd use his Holo-guise to make his way toward the third node while Kor ambled about, setting off every alert system in the warehouse and drawing the mobile defenses to him.

It would probably be safer for Kaden to just stay put as he didn't believe even Kor could defeat every guard in the warehouse by himself, but the incredible pain in his shoulder told him that the extra precaution of securing the node was necessary. 

If Kaden were capable of moving his neck at the moment, he'd shake his head in amazement. Kor definitely lived up to the legends of the Red Lombaxes, that was for sure.

The dust was beginning to settle now and the foggy outlines of trench-like setups and fortification were slowly coming into view. Kaden stood up and stretched out his injured joints. 

Due to his lack of combat so far, his Nanotech reserves had been almost completely full, so he had healed quickly. 

He could also hear gunshots in the distance and the sounds of troop movement nearby. With a mental command, his Holo-guise activated and once again he was transformed into a robot guard before he set out for the third node.

* * *

Kor sprinted through the defenses in a desperate search for his target. Left and right he dispatched robot guards without even breaking his stride. He also came across the occasional turret, but they didn't last long either. 

The dust had still not completely settled, giving him the advantage for now, but it was only a matter of time before the heavy weapon emplacements regained a decent line of sight and pinned him down. He had to find Kaden before that.

He came within range of a bunker in the area he believed Kaden to have landed in. With a powerful toss, Kor threw his wrench toward the firing slit on the front of the fortification where it buried itself deep into the armor plating. He then activated his wire winch to pull himself up after it.

Once he reached the top of the bunker he slid inside the small opening and annihilated the four guard-bots within. He then walked to the rear of the bunker and looked out. 

From here Kor could see the entire layout of the battlefield and even the likely location of the final node at the back of the warehouse, but there was no sign of his quarry.

The dust had completely settled now and before he moved again, Kor needed to have a destination already in mind. With the veil gone, he would be an easy target for every defensive position from here to the node. 

Luckily, this also meant that the air was clear enough now. 

Kor retracted his re-breather apparatus from across the bottom of his helmet and then breathed in deeply through his nostrils. Once he’d had his fill, he closed his eyes and sorted the smells as best he could.

The smell of ozone and melted plastic was the heaviest among the myriad of scents. It was coming from the still-sparking guards alongside him in the bunker, so Kor stuck his head out from the rear firing slit to escape the odor and breathed in again.

Most of the depot so far had smelled stagnant, but at least in this extraordinarily large warehouse, the heat differentials allowed a bit more air circulation than most. 

The smell of powdered rock still lingered, but it was weakened. The stench of oil and gelatonium fumes was the strongest, this smell was from the hundreds of robots that patrolled the area.

He continued to test the air with his nose, for as long as he dared. 

…

…

There! The familiar scent of caustic chemicals and burnt electronics that poured off of the tan Lombax like the heat of a volcano. Kor's eyes flashed open and fresh adrenaline flooded his veins as the bottom of his mask sealed shut once more. 

Without hesitating he leapt from the bunker and began to hunt down his prey’s trail.

* * *

The disguised Kaden waved to another group of guard-bots before walking past them. There seemed to be a consistent flow of troops moving toward the debris field now. He imagined that every robot that wasn’t hard-set to a specific patrol zone was probably headed there to investigate. 

He almost laughed when he imagined their programming trying to find a preset reaction command to the sky falling.

Suddenly a nearby turret opened fire, followed by the distant sound of small arms rounds and an explosion. Kaden’s heart skipped a beat before he realized they weren’t firing at him.

Carefully he turned around to see what was happening. 

The turret that had opened up was on the top of a tower that overlooked the no man's land. Kaden's damaged visor swam and crackled before finally zooming in on the point that the turret was aiming at and a chill ran down his spine. Kor was standing just on the other side of a barbed wire fence.

Kaden quickly turned back around and continued on to the node. His progress was painstakingly slow, though. If he walked too fast then the hologram disguise would glitch out and fail, exposing him. 

Guard-bots were rushing past him now. With their attention on the new threat though, Kaden didn't even have to wave at them. This was good, as it allowed him to move as fast as possible.

Another loud explosion ripped through the air about a minute later. It was very close this time and Kaden turned around to see what it was. The turret position that had opened fire on Kor a moment ago was now a pile of scrap with black smoke pouring from it like a chimney. 

Kor himself emerged from the smoke and looked out over the area as more troops ran towards the base of the tower, some taking shots as they spotted the enemy high above them.

Frozen in amazement Kaden stared. Even from this distance, he could clearly see Kor's breathing apparatus pull back to reveal the lower half of his face. 

At first, the tan Lombax wasn't sure what was happening, but after what appeared to be several sniffs of the air, Kor lowered his head and directed his red, glowing gaze straight at his disguised form.

_ 'You've got to be kidding me!'  _ thought Kaden as he watched Kor's helmet reseal. The red-armored Lombax then lept clear off of the tower before making a beeline for his position.

As implausible as it seemed, it was clear that Kor had managed to locate him. Kaden took a deep breath as he accepted this fact. 

Then he turned around and ran for all he had in the opposite direction. 

His holo-guise dissolved with a fizzle of light and the guard-bots around him looked stunned as they tried to process the new information, giving him enough time to leave them in his dust. 

It was only a few more meters to the node now and Kaden had to make it there before Kor caught up to him, no matter the cost.

Guard-bots were starting to react to him now, charging at him from all angles and firing various weapons in his direction. 

Kaden had dismantled a few guard-bots earlier and had seen their programming. As long as he maintained top speed and avoided the melee units, they'd all miss their initial attacks and then Kor would become their priority target as he passed them in pursuit.

Further behind, Kor himself was running at full speed as well, but he was mercilessly destroying any robots that got in his way, obliterating them with single sweeps of his massive Malleus wrench. Most were dispatched without him having to slow down while the occasional heavy guard held him up for about half a second or so, but not much more.

He had lost his Castor pistol in the fall and so was using his heavy Pollux pistol to hit the ranged enemies. He'd briefly thought about using the blaster he'd taken from The Mad Queen earlier, but it had since folded back into its storage mode and he couldn't seem to reactivate it. Still, he was closing in on Kaden now and would be able to use his wrench and fists soon enough.

Kaden glanced back whenever he got the chance, to try and gauge how quickly Kor would catch him. After a few quick measurements, however, he was put at ease. Kor was closing the distance between them at a ravenous pace, but Kaden’s target wasn't actually the node itself. 

Even if the tan Lombax ‘could’ make it to the node before Kor, there'd be no time to capture it. But, Kaden knew he only had to make it to the node's entrance area to achieve victory and he was only a few feet away now.

The layout of the third warehouse had trenchworks of barricades and towers that weaved around each other like a maze. The node was placed at the far end of the room and the only way to get to it was through the ‘Gladiator Gate’.

There were several entrances to this walled off area that sat just in front of the third node’s location, but once an enemy entered, the whole thing was designed to seal up and the defenses would attack. 

Knowing this, Kaden ran across the nearest gateway into an arena type area. Immediately a loud buzzer went off and Kor crossed over the threshold just as the massive gates slammed shut. 

Despite his focus, the red-armored Lombax stopped just shy of his goal, his concern for the sudden change in situation forcing him to take account of his surroundings.

Several other large gates to the arena had also sealed shut and enclosed both him and Kaden into a circular pen. Only one gate remained open now, it was the one furthest away from where they stood and likely led to the third node, though it was closing very slowly, enticing would-be attackers to make a run for it or be locked in. 

Two smaller gates flanked this larger gate on both sides and they were instead slowly opening. 

From them came forth dozens of heavy guard-bots. Most carried hammers or oversized swords like usual, but instead of a sidearm, each robotic soldier now carried a tall, square, metal shield that sparked with electricity.

The robots looked tougher than most, but Kor was overall pleased with the situation. Kaden had also stopped running a short distance away and had turned back to face him. 

"This is the Gladiator Gate," the tan Lombax shouted, as the heavy guards marched ever closer. "The gates seal in anyone who gets ahead of their group and forces them to fight the gladiators for the node. We're locked in here until either the guards beat one of us to death, ending our match by default, or until one of us takes the node."

"Then it is my victory," responded Kor. "You're trapped in here with me and in the next few minutes either I or these machines will end you."

Kaden shook his head with a slight smile, "Not if they kill you first," he countered.

"You think you'll last longer in here than I will?" laughed Kor. "Your skills are nothing compared to mine."

Again Kaden shook his head, "Correction, my 'combat' skills are nothing compared to yours, but any true warrior should know that ‘knowledge’ is the most powerful weapon and I wield that with the superior skill."

With those last words, Kaden spun back around and faced the horde of incoming gladiator guards. More were still emerging from the far side of the arena and their numbers were quickly approaching the hundreds, but Kaden wasn't concerned about it. The tan-furred Lombax simply relaxed his muscles and joints before taking a deep breath and letting the lead robot come within attacking range.

The first gladiator raised its hammer high and brought it down with a powerful swing. Kaden merely stepped to the side, no more than a few inches, and avoided the attack completely. 

Another gladiator swung a sword at his head a second later. 

Again, with very little effort, Kaden simply lowered his body and flattened his ears back, avoiding the blade cleanly, as it came within centimeters of his helmet.

Kaden avoided two more follow-up attacks then he took a quick step back to avoid one gladiator's shield bash. This heavy attack left an opening in the guard formation and Kaden swiftly slid through it and straight into the heart of the mob.

Kor watched with a mix of disbelief and amazement. Kaden was sliding himself further and further away, deeper into the gladiator ranks, and avoided every attack as if he were made of smoke. 

It didn't make sense. Kor had fought Kaden before and there was no way he had been hiding this kind of ability, but he was now avoiding the attacks as if he knew where they were going to land before they were even made.

This was because Kaden ‘did’ know where the attacks were going to land. 

In his preparation for this final fight with Kor, Kaden had ripped open the heads of several guard-bots and knew the current combat programs and protocols of virtually every defense in the depot. And, now that he knew how his enemies thought, he could already see this whole fight play out like a galactic chess game in his mind.

Two gladiators were going to attack next, they were the closest units to him and all the other guard-bots would hold their attacks to prevent interference and friendly damage. 

The first one was at least three inches closer to Kaden than the second, so it would get priority. Based on it and its target’s current stance, the robot would attack with a sword slash sideways across his chest, then follow-up with a shield bash.

The second robot would initiate its attack exactly 0.67 seconds after the first did. It would swing its hammer in an opposite angular slashing motion to try and cut across Kaden's hip and legs. 

Any movement Kaden made during this time would be adjusted for by the gladiators' fight algorithms, so he stayed perfectly still and moved in short, rapid bursts at the perfect moment to avoid any and all damage while putting more troops between himself and his real enemy at the front of the arena.

Kor clenched his teeth in frustration as he watched the gladiators surround his opponent. They missed every swing and showed no signs of likely ever landing a hit. All the while, the front units that could no longer reach Kaden had turned their focus on him instead. 

In just a few moments there were about a dozen gladiator guards headed his way and he'd need to handle them before long.

With no choice left to him, Kor charged forward. 

He hit the first robot hard and fast. It put its shield up to defend itself, but Kor's wrench split the electrified metal like aluminum. The Gladiator lost its shield arm as well, but it didn't hesitate to bring its hammer swinging forward for a counter attack.

Kor hadn't expected the robot to survive the strike and wasn't prepared for it. He managed to put his arm up to block it, but pain shot through it a second later as the guard's hammer slammed into his armor. He took a few steps back and re-evaluated the obstacle before him.

These gladiator guards were much stronger than the usual fodder he’d fought so far and they battled with much more skill. Kor knew that he would need to respect their might if he was to destroy them. And so, he re-engaged the machines with renewed perspective.

* * *

In the eyes of any outside observer, one would imagine Kor's performance against such odds to be remarkable, but to him... it was pathetic. 

Kaden had still not taken a single hit in all this time, while he himself had suffered several, not all of which were easily ignorable. Each one was compounded by the insult that the Lombax who relied on trickery and traps to win his fights was doing a much better job than him.

To make matters worse, the gladiators had recognized Kor as a much greater threat due to their calculation of the units he'd destroyed so far. To the robots' minds, Kaden had yet to kill a single unit and so they determined only a few units would be necessary to eliminate him.

Kor, on the other hand, was well past the double digits for his kill count. Gladiators were now breaking off from Kaden en masse and heading to support the fight against him. 

More gladiator reinforcements were also being released from the far side of the arena and they seemed to be headed straight for his position. 

This was all according to Kaden's plan.

What Kaden couldn't have planned on, however, was Kor's reaction, which he could not see from where he was. 

This whole battle was an utter insult to Kor as a warrior, knowing that Kaden hadn’t taken so much as a scratch so far. Every slash across suit or dent in his armor felt like Kaden's laughter and mockery. Kor was being completely outclassed in a comparison of skill, the one area he'd sworn that he'd never be outdone it.

Rage flooded his veins along with enough adrenaline to kill an animal twice his size. His body was reacting to the anger and savagery that had made his people a legend in the Great War.

Gradually his moves were becoming faster and more powerful. 

Kor struck away a gladiator's shield and shoved a grenade into its wielder’s waist joint, before kicking it back into its comrades. He then moved backward and, using the other robots as a shield, was protected from the ensuing blast that ripped through them like they were made of tin. This all happened before the shield he'd knocked loose had even hit the ground.

* * *

Kaden was in the middle of the arena with just five gladiators around him. There were many more still in the arena, but every other one had been diverted to fight Kor. 

He kept a close eye on his vitals in his HUD as he moved from attack to attack monotonously. He made sure to pace himself and give his nanites enough time to remove the lactic acid from his muscles so that they wouldn't get tired.

It was only a matter of time now before the depot speakers came on to announce the victory of the Tough Nuts. He would have loved to watch Kor be taken down by the depot's elite guard, but he had to stay focused on his task of avoiding damage until then.

He did, however, get a small window of opportunity to see how his opponent was doing as he spun away from another hammer blow and turned to face the large mass of gladiators at the edge of the arena. 

Then his heart skipped a beat.

Kor bashed away one of the five gladiators surrounding Kaden as if it were a department store mannequin. The red-armored Lombax then drilled a glowing knuckled fist directly at Kaden's head. 

Kaden barely managed to throw up his arm to avoid taking the full impact to his face, but the force of the blow shattered his forearm and sent him flying backwards.

The gladiator behind him had raised its sword high for another attack when Kaden's body struck it in the chest. The two of them then slid back, still standing upright, until their combined friction halted their movements.

Kor was within arm's reach once again before he could even blink. 

The red-armored Lombax spun his whole body around so quickly that it made Kaden's head spin, before bringing his wrench upward, like a golf swing, into Kaden's chest. 

Both Kaden and the gladiator guard were then launched up into the air. They flew several feet off the ground and went flying all the way across the arena, stopping just short of the large gate between the two doors, both of which still had reinforcements charging out of them.

Kor had felt the connection of his wrench with his opponent and it caused what can only be described as pure ecstasy to flood his body. He had felt the armor and bones of Kaden's chest crumple like cardboard and snap like twigs.

It had been many hours since he'd first heard Kaden's voice over his radio link and ever since that moment he'd fantasized about landing a blow like this one. The end result was every bit as exquisite as he'd hoped for.

Kor threw back his armored head and roared with the sheer rush of victory. 

Through his helmet speakers, his voice was cracked and full of static. It sounded like the roar of some great beast of wrath and legend. 

It was so terrifying that it caused the remaining three gladiators around him to freeze up and hesitate with their next attack. It was an error that they didn't even have time to log before they were destroyed.

* * *

Kaden's body jolted violently and he inhaled suddenly as his onboard medical system defibrillated his stopped heart. Pain screamed throughout his body like he'd never felt before. The suddenness of the attack had shocked every nerve in his system and the numbness of his muscles made it feel like he was floating in freezing water.

His vision was nothing more than shadows at first. Then, shapes and colors faded in and out of focus like he was at the bottom of a rough, murky ocean. He slipped in and out of consciousness three times before he finally stabilized and his vision cleared. 

Then, as the shadows slowly turned to solids, they hardened into the faces of several gladiator guards looking down at him.

A pang of panic shot through his already ravaged nervous system as he saw three hammers and two swords raised high over top of him. In the next second, they came rushing down to meet him. 

He didn't even have time to think about his actions before he spoke, "Command override!" he gasped and wheezed desperately. "Initiate ‘Kill Kor’ Protocol."

With the sound of grating metal, the five falling weapons slowed in mid-air and came to a halt less than an inch from Kaden's shattered chest. 

Sound waves were invisible to the naked eye, but anyone watching could have seen them at that moment. As the words propagated away from their origin, every robot that heard them froze when they reached their sonic analyzers.

The virus that had been slowly spreading its way into the systems of every depot defense A.I. since shortly after the game had begun had just been initiated with the verbal input of the activation code.

Kor had just happily finished off the last of the gladiators that had been around him when he heard a strange sound. 

It was the sound of complete silence. 

Not a single servo moved from any of the hundred plus gladiator guards that were spread throughout the arena. Every single one of them had frozen in place as if time itself had stopped.

Kor gripped the handle of his wrench tightly as he listened to deafening quiet. The feeling in the air was strange, but at the same time distantly familiar, like he had experienced it in a dream. His heartbeat was striking like a hammer against his chest from his previous exertions, but also from something else.

This strange feeling that he couldn't quite put his finger on. One that then surged in his body as over a hundred robotic heads turned in unison towards him and more than two hundred glowing robotic ocular sensors focused their gaze on him and him alone.

Kor smiled as he realized he knew this feeling...

_ 'Fear.' _


	16. At What Cost, the Price of Victory?

Ever since Kaden had first started needing to wear protective gear, his load-out of choice had always been that of light combat armor. Except for rare occasions, such as the arena combat of the Battleplex, he had always opted for the least amount of armored plating possible in order to give him more room for gadgets and customizations. He also preferred the lighter weight that made the suit easier to move in.

Kaden’s philosophy was to fight from a distance and never get hit in the first place, so he never needed the protection.

As Kaden's breath returned to him in fits and gasps, however, he was truly regretting that decision for the first time in his life.

Nanotech was rapidly rebuilding his ruptured lungs, but also randomly closing off airways and blood flow in order to make uninterrupted repairs of the various veins and tubes. This made the process of breathing extremely difficult as at any moment his airways were closed without warning. At least he had a moment to let it happen, though.

The gladiator guards, their attack protocols having been freshly reset, had already begun to move away from him, marching their way toward the center of the arena where Kor stood and leaving Kaden completely untouched.

The legion of robotic soldiers now eyed their one and only target, raising their shields in a defensive stance as they approached and squared off.

Their movements were also different than before. Gone was the eager, mindless desire to assault their target. In its place was a cold, calculating group effort to ensure, at all costs, that their target did not survive.

Instead of attacking in a swarm, they waited patiently for their ranks to form a circular wall of shields around their target before they began to close in.

As Kor watched the humbling sight, his body and mind came down from its adrenaline high and all the painful protests from his overdrawn muscles and fresh wounds finally got their chance to be heard.

His senses were suddenly overwhelmed and his breathing soon became so heavy that his respirator was having trouble keeping up. The apparatus’ fans grated loudly with each intake of air, as its filters were overtaxed.

To Kor, it felt like he had been climbing a mountain for ages and, just when he believed himself to have reached the summit, the clouds had parted before him and revealed that the mountain reached ever skyward with no end in sight.

Kor had genuinely believed that his last strike had spelled the end of this match. He had been sure that the tan-furred Lombax had played his last card, that Kaden had let his guard down and finally lost.

However, the tired warrior’s opponent had simply pulled yet another ace from his sleeve and played on. And this time, Kor did not know if he could beat his hand.

The robotic wall of soldiers had now shrunk the circle around him to about half its size. They were still moving cautiously, ensuring that there was no weak spot in their phalanx that Kor could exploit.

At their current rate, they would be within striking distance within seconds, and Kor didn’t know what to do.

Even if they had left an opening, however, he doubted he could take advantage of it. It had taken strength that he hadn’t known he possessed simply to escape the previous mire of gladiators and land that single critical strike on his opponent.

Now, with the robots' sudden change in behavior and their increased numbers, the thought of executing a similar move seemed twice as daunting.

As the Gladiators continued to close around him and a return to the fight was imminent, adrenaline began pumping through his veins once more. But, the feeling he got from it this time was completely different than before.

It didn't burn hot like the usual, mind-clouding, rage-fueled rush that he got when his goal was just within his grasp. Instead, it was cold and clear, like ice water forcing him awake. He wasn't running on instincts now, his mind had brought his consciousness into sharp focus and his hands trembled in his gauntlet.

_'So this is fear,'_ thought Kor as he grinned solemnly within his helmet.

This wasn't the first time he'd felt the unusual emotion, merely the first time that he recognized it for what it was. Most of his experience had been while he was a child, but there was only one recent example that came to mind.

Kor was suddenly reminded of why he’d been so eager to face the tan-furred Lombax once again. He remembered clearly the image of those burning green eyes as they cut into his own for a brief moment at the end of the MSE tournament. In that moment, as Kaden had realized his defeat and was teleported away, those eyes had seemed as vast and endlessly consuming as the Grand Waters around Magnaron.

Kor's whole body shook as he remembered. That instance had happened too fast for him to be sure back then, but now it was clear to him. While Kor had faced plenty of opponents stronger than he was and while he had even been defeated before, he had always understood ‘why’ he'd lost.

‘They were stronger’, ‘they were faster’, ‘they had more experience’... Kor had always had an explanation, something he could focus his sense of defeat on in order to improve.

Kaden, however, was something different. He was a creature whose physical prowess was average at best and yet he was capable of so much more... More than Kor could even imagine.

It was this lack of knowing where his enemy's strength ended that was so terrifying. Like the seething darkness of a Frostbitten Maw or the black depths of the Grand Waters, it was as if the tan-furred Lombax's skill couldn't be measured or even seen. Kor did not know how to defeat what he couldn’t even comprehend. How would he even fight such a thing?

As these questions swirled around Kor’s exhausted mind, a strange surreality came over him.

Then... Kor began to laugh.

He laughed loud and metallically as he came to a stunning realization. The answer had been so simple that it made him laugh in anger at his own ignorance.

He simply had to fight on.

If he could not see the dangers within the Frostbitten Maw, he simply had to move forward and face them as they appeared, until he conquered them or died in the darkness.

If he could not see the bottom of the Grand Waters, then he'd simply have to swim downward until he ran out of breath and sunk to the bottom.

And if he could not see the mountain's peak, he would just have to climb ever higher until either he reached the top or his strength failed him and he fell into the abyss below.

As the wall of armored gladiator-bots came within inches of striking range, Kor hardened his resolve. With one last heavy breath, the cold in his veins was washed away and he closed his eyes, focusing his mind on the strange device implanted into his brain which was called a NID and gave it a familiar command once again.

A low hum built rapidly in Kor's armored chest, causing the surrounding combatants to hesitate just before their attack, before quickly reaching a crescendo and Kor’s whole body erupted in flame.

The reason inferno mode could only be active for short periods of time was that, throughout its use, it burnt away the protective insulation that guarded its user against the punishing heat of its energy discharge.

Kor's armor had yet to be fully repaired and within seconds the already weakened insulation began to give way to the intense temperatures. Heat quickly poured into the wearer's compartments, turning the armored suit into a walking oven.

Kor didn't care, though.

The Infernox armor that his G-83 had been derived from had been designed shortly before the discovery of the Red Lombax people. The armor's original inventor, unable to find warriors willing to use a suit that threatened to cook them alive in their own gear, had shelved the concept years before.

That was, until he stumbled upon reports of a race of Lombaxes who lived their entire lives in the very heart of a violently active, volcanic wasteland. Only they had the mental and evolutionary fortitude to withstand such danger.

And so, Kor welcomed the embrace of the inferno as if it were a close friend, uncaring as it singed his fur and cooked his skin.

The red blazing Lombax let out one last bestial roar, before charging forward with his burning Malleus wrench held high.

* * *

Kaden had managed to get back to his feet and was now leaning against the node gateway for support as his chest continued to be rebuilt. He barely felt the pain of nano-surgery, however, as his eyes and thoughts were fixated on the burning object in front of him.

He watched as Kor ripped through the gladiators like their armor was made of tin. Their shields proved no more effective a defense than cardboard and his wrench and fists tore through multiple metallic warriors at once.

This was the first time Kaden had seen Kor use both Inferno mode and his wrench simultaneously and it was clear that he had yet to see the full potential of the Inferno Mode combat system.

The inflamed Lombax didn't even bother to defend from counter attacks, instead, putting all his efforts into offense. Any hammer or sword that landed a hit was repelled totally by his Inferno Barrier.

It barely took a minute before Kor had carved out an opening through the gladiator’s ranks and was standing before an open path toward Kaden again.

Seeing his chance, the burning avatar of war darted forward like a meteor blazing through the atmosphere, equally unstoppable and its course set.

* * *

_Sitting in their briefing room, the acting members of The Tough Nuts and Varin had just finished listening to the details of Kaden's plan._

_"I don't like it," said Wraith simply._

_"Yeah, but you don't like anything," countered Varin with her usual smirk. "I say we do it. If nothing else I just want to see if he can pull it off."_

_Both she and Wraith then turned to Torque who rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "This production has a truly complicated score. I fear the performer may not have the talent necessary. However, if his skills are genuine then the symphony would be of a most exquisite beauty... I wish to attend this show."_

_"As leader, I believe that's a yes," declared Lacera. She then glanced at Varin who nodded to confirm her interpretation of Torque's words. Lacera smiled and then turned to Kaden, "Well, Kaden, that makes the vote one to zero, since my vote is the only one that matters. Luckily for you, I'd also like to see what you're capable of. You're on."_

_"Yes!" Kaden exclaimed happily with a small fist pump to emphasize. When he looked up again though, Lacera was glaring at him, "Oh, uh… thank you, boss," he added quickly._

_Lacera nodded her approval._

Wraith continued to shake his head, however, "Even if you can make an undetectable virus, there is no way you'll be able to infect active units without getting caught by the game’s cameras," he insisted skeptically. "I'm pretty sure hacking the depot equipment is against the rules."

"And where does it say that in the rule book?" countered Varin defensively. "I bet he gets an MVP award for innovative strategic thinking."

Wraith folded his arms and matched Varin's gaze, "And if he doesn't?" he continued stiffly. "There's no way Tor'doran will let someone use her toys without permission. He'll be teleported out the moment she sees him messing with one, or at the very least the Depot team will attempt an anti-virus immediately."

"It doesn't matter," countered Kaden dismissively. "I don't intend to take the risk either way. I'll bring a second teleporter beacon and attach it to one of my holo-clones. Then, I just deactivate my own beacon and trick the game cameras into following the clone while I get to work. Plus, I'll only use the override virus as a last resort. Even if it's against the rules, they won't be able to remove me or the virus in time to prevent the defenses from taking down Kor, which, we all agreed, is what we're really after, right?"

Wraith still shook his head in disapproval, but didn't say anything further.

"I have an inquiry," interjected Torque after a brief silence. "You choose to perform you finale upon the stage of the Gladiator Gate, yes? Are not all of the units within a melee-only type? I find it hard to believe that a performer of such skill as the famed Red Reaper would be easily defeated in a contest of his own forte."

Kaden nodded as he considered the question, "True," he agreed thoughtfully as he refocused the hologram on the table in front of them until it focused on the Gladiator Gate, "but it ‘will’ work for two reasons. One is that the Assault the Depot training missions use this same location and its defenses. Since Assault the Depot is a military exercise rather than a competition, the difficulty needs to be scalable to much higher levels. All Depot A.I. is likely preloaded with more sophisticated skills and strategies. This means that, once my virus goes live, I can ramp up the guards’ combat A.I. to eleven!"

"And the other reason?" pressed Lacera with interest.

A small devious smile spread across Kaden's lips, "The ‘other’ reason is that there are also inactivate defenses considered too powerful for just a Capture the Depot game. These for instance," he added as he switched the hologram over to an Assault the Depot map layout.

The hologram in front of them dissolved then regenerated the same exact image of the Gladiator Gate except there were now heavy turrets all along the top and sides of the arena walls.

"When my virus goes active," Kaden continued as his audience listened with intrigue, even Wraith, "it will have infected the stationary defensive emplacements as well. Even with Inferno mode going at full force, the sheer magnitude of firepower will keep Kor pinned to ground indefinitely. Then it will just be a matter of time before his powercore burns out and he is finally destroyed!"

* * *

The moment Kor was free of the horde of gladiators, every one of their virus-controlled A.I. systems simultaneously sent out a distress alert. A second later, dozens of defense turrets sprang out from the tops and sides of the arena walls, all pointing directly at the inflamed Lombax.

Seconds later a massive tidal wave of energy orbs and physical machine gun/cannon rounds slammed into Kor's body. The armored Lombax was blasted backwards and into the floor by thousands of impacts that felt like just one, heavy weight.

The Inferno Barrier flashed brightly as it protected its user from any damage, but it did not stop the total kinetic energy of the strikes from transferring to his armor. He was quickly weighed down under the torrential force of gun blasts and was unable to even get to his feet.

Kaden could stand under his power now, without the aid of the wall to lean against, and was feeling recovered enough to smile proudly as he watched his red-armored enemy being pressed into the ground.

But, unbeknownst to Kaden, inside Kor’s burning armor, the red-furred Lombax was laughing. His voice was drowned out by the sound of gunfire and breaking concrete around him.

_‘Just another card,’_ Kor thought as he pushed on undaunted.

Eventually, the red-armored Lombax managed to get his feet underneath him and push himself upright. Then, to Kaden’s surprise, he resolutely took another step forward, in spite of the barrage of gunfire.

A sliver of fear ran down the tan Lombax’s spine, but then Kor stumbled on the next step and was slammed back into the earth with a thud.

_'It’s only a matter of time now,'_  Kaden told himself confidently, ignoring the slight worry he’d felt a moment ago. It was clear that Kor wasn’t going to reach him by sheer force of will at least.

The turrets shooting down at Kor were stationary, so they were connected to a near limitless supply of energy and ammunition. They wouldn't be running out of attack power anytime soon.

Kaden also noted the risks involved with overusing Inferno mode. He knew that his opponent was likely already burning through the insulation of his armor and overloading its heat dissipation units at a dangerous rate.

The tan-furred Lombax took a moment to appreciate his opponent's determination, as it was likely that a good portion of Kor's body was already cooked and crispy. The pain must have been excruciating.

Even so, it did not matter if Kor could withstand the agony. The Overdrive cell that powered his Inferno barrier did not have enough energy to last for much more than a minute, and so, it was only a matter of time now.

Despite the futility, however, the blazing Lombax still refused to give up. Kaden watched as he once again fought against the merciless pounding of turret fire to get back to his feet. He then stood against the waves of projectiles to unyieldingly face his opponent.

Kaden looked into the blazing red eyes. They stood out, clear as day, even through the veil of energy strikes and ignited atmosphere that surrounded them.

As he did, Kaden's expression turned from one of grinning pride to content seriousness.

He would watch Kor's final moments with respect as he reflected on all the events, the dangers, and the challenges that had brought the two of them to this point.

Or... at least he would have, had a stray plasma round not struck the wall at that moment, a few feet away from where he was standing.

Kaden turned to look at the hissing black welt in the metal wall with confusion on his face. It was clearly a misplaced shot, fired by one of the turrets, but with the current A.I. difficulty setting, the aiming software should be accurate enough to hit a fly at a hundred yards and Kor wasn't even moving.

As Kaden contemplated the strange occurrence, a gladiator guard on the other side of the arena exploded after taking a direct twenty-millimeter shell to the chest. Pieces of shredded robot scattered to the ground as the twangs and sparks of several more misplaced turret shots flashed about the arena.

Kaden studied the various areas of impact carefully and began calculating the trajectories of the shots. He followed their invisible trails back to their origin to see which turrets were missing their mark, but many of the paths just led to thin air.

Kaden's mind began to scramble for an answer while simultaneously trying to question if his physical understanding of the weapons' fire trajectories was accurate.

The tan Lombax soon felt his world start to turn as his mind focused every brain cell it had toward finding an answer.

It didn't make any sense, though! It was like the shots were being redirected ‘after’ they’d been fired.

Kaden’s heart skipped a beat and his mind froze on that last thought that had passed through it. He raised his eyes back to his opponent and watched as an increasing number of turret rounds were landing on the arena walls, the floor, and the gladiator guards, seemingly at random.

Slowly, with a shaking hand, Kaden drew a small energy analyzer from one of his suit's pockets and raised its sensor to face Kor. A few seconds later the completed analysis of the energy signature around Kor's body was displayed on it.

At the top of the readout chart, were the sharp, red spikes of an Inferno field, though they seemed to be much smaller than Kaden would have expected.

It was the second reading, however, that caused him to crush the tiny device in his rage-filled grip. The widely varying pockets of localized magnetic fields which now surrounded Kor were the same exact ones Kaden had studied and examined hundreds of times over in his lab.

"Mercatus..." Kaden growled angrily under his breath as he dropped the sparking energy analyzer.

The Metal Storm prototype was the only thing he knew of that was capable of the current phenomena and the only explanation for Kor having one is that he bought it from Mercatus' weapons shop.

Kaden's lungs had been fully repaired, but his breath was becoming short and raspy once again as his mind quickly and conclusively calculated the outcome. Slowly he raised his hands, before activating his repulsor field just in time to prevent a wad of burning plasma from hitting him.

This was followed by another ping nearby. Then another, and another, each coming more quickly than the previous ones. Then two hit almost at the same time, then four went off in quick succession, but from all over the arena. Then another struck Kaden’s shield.

The turret blasts and bullets aimed at Kor were now being sent spraying in all directions.

Kaden simply watched with a stone-faced expression as the arena became a chaotic swirl of destruction. His gladiator army was quickly chewed up and turned to scrap while some shots rebounded to strike back at the turrets they'd come from, destroying them as well.

At that moment, Kor's Inferno Barrier finally flashed violently and disappeared from its depleted powercell, but by now all the incoming turret fire was being completely deflected by the magnetic fields that Kor was generating.

Kaden's virus was a simple priority rewrite code. He couldn't command the remaining robot soldiers to attack now or have the turrets to stop firing. All he could do was watch as his last resort was pulverized by a weapon of his own creation.

Worst still, Kor seemed to have a better control of the weapon than Kaden had thought possible. The red-armored Lombax was moving his body and arms around in precise motions, controlling the magnetic fields and using them to redirect the rest of the turret fire, destroying the remaining gladiators and several turrets.

Inside of Kor’s helmet, his jaw was set with the strain of manipulating his magnetic fields. He had wanted more time to practice using the amazing Metal Storm system that he'd found in the Armory before revealing it in combat, but this moment was the perfect test for the weapon he'd bought specifically to cover his one weakness: his weakness against heavy, ranged fire.

Once all the gladiators and all but a few of the turrets had been destroyed, Kor stopped reflecting the attacks back on them and instead turned them toward Kaden.

Dozens of plasma blasts began to strike Kaden's shield violently. The energy barrier held, but it was flashing dangerously as its already damaged generators were being overtaxed.

Kaden quickly stretched out his unshielded hand to his side and activated his still functional Nuclear Fist. A bright ball of compressed nuclear energy, over three times as powerful as a Fastball, began to grow within it, but it wasn’t meant for his opponent. When the attack was fully charged he fired it at a point in-between two of the turrets that were still firing.

The air shook with the force of the explosion as both the turrets and a large chunk of the arena wall were obliterated in one blast. Kaden then charged several more shots and quickly decimated the remaining turrets.

There was a short buzz over the arena speakers that declared the Gladiator Gate complete and the door behind Kaden slid open to allow access to the final node.

Kaden then charged up yet another shot and this time fired it straight at Kor.

Kor saw the attack coming and moved a powerful magnetic field into position to intercept it. His whole body felt the weight of the blast as it was caught in the Metal Storm's field and forcibly redirected off course.

It missed Kor by several feet, before it zipped past and struck the wall behind him, blasting a massive hole out of the reinforced concrete as it did. The force of the blast shook the arena floor beneath his feet.

Kaden then charged up yet another Nuclear Fist attack, but this time he held it in his hand without averting his gaze from Kor. Then he simply glared at his hated enemy.

The message was clear: the moment Kor dropped his Metal Storm to attack, Kaden would fire another Nuclear Fist blast. The Nuclear Fist was obviously stronger than the Fastballs, so even if he couldn't land a direct hit, the force of a glancing blow would be enough to end this match.

All was quiet as the two opponents analyzed their situations.

Kaden was currently incapable of attacking Kor while his Metal Storm was active.

Kor, on the other hand, only had his Pollux blaster as a ranged attack and Kaden's shield could block it easily, if the tan Lombax didn’t feel like simply stepping out of the slow-moving projectile’s way, that is.

If Kor tried to charge Kaden instead, without dropping his Metal Storm, it was likely that a magnetic field would accidentally catch a large amount of the metal scrap that was lying on the ground all over the arena. This would slow him down greatly or even render him immobile.

A cold silence then fell over the arena as the two Lombaxes realized they had entered a stalemate. Both of them simply stared at one another through darkly lidded eyes.

Kaden had already wordlessly announced with his last attack that it was Kor's move next and so he waited for his opponent's response.

Slowly, the red-armored Lombax began to stretch out his body. It was a pre-exercise warm-up kind of thing.

He stretched out his legs especially and Kaden prepared himself as well. Kor was clearly planning on dropping his Metal Storm and making a run for him, so Kaden would have to make sure to place his shot well. If he didn't hit the ground close enough to his target, he doubted he'd have a chance for another shot.

It all came down to the quick draw.

When Kor finished his stretch, he returned to staring at Kaden for a few seconds. Then he raised both of his hands high into the air before throwing them down toward the ground.

The deafening rattle of metal scraps filled the arena as Kor sent his magnetic fields straight into the mass of dismantled robots.

Kor's body reacted as if gravity had multiplied itself over a dozen times. His arms and torso shook and his legs nearly buckled under some enormous, unseen weight.

Kaden watched with fascination as Kor fought to lift more than a thousand pounds of robotic limbs and weaponry, but his fascination quickly turned to disbelief as the metal bits around him slowly began to stand up and then rise off the ground.

Blood vessels burst and muscles screamed all across Kor's body as he forced every ounce of strength he had into the task of simply standing up. His eyes bulged and he felt his very bones on the brink of being pulverized to dust under the colossal weight, but still, he rose.

Even as the very floor he stood on cracked and crumbled under the weight of his boots he managed to rise. One centimeter, one inch, one foot, bit by bit the material was lifted off the ground and slowly it began to spin around him in the fashion of a true metal storm.

When Kaden snapped out of his mesmerized daze, he immediately fired his Nuclear Fist at Kor again in the hope that his opponent's movements had left him open to attack.

The blast slammed into a wall of metal and exploded, once again shaking the arena, but when Kaden's eyes adjusted to the light, Kor still stood.

The Metal Storm had absorbed the energy of the blast completely. Now, glowing red, molten globs of slag were mixed in with the cyclone of steel and titanium that was slowly but surely picking up speed around Kor's body.

The sound of metal striking metal within the hurricane echoed throughout the arena and Kaden stood frozen in place as he watched the storm grow.

He had actually already finished recalculating his options and knew what he had to do, but his mind's vast thinking power was still caught up on the insult of having his opponent foiling his plans with his own invention.

Kaden knew that his only option now was to make a run for the node and just hope that Kor was too damaged to catch up before he could take it. However, that left the whole point of the match unresolved. In Kaden's eyes, winning by nodes at this point was the same as running away and that thought was infuriating.

The oddest thing about all this, though, was that Kaden wasn't the kind of person to sweat semantics. Victory was victory in his mind... usually. He could not figure out why beating Kor 'the right way' bothered him so much… Or at least that's what he told himself.

In truth, Kaden had always known why Kor got under his fur so much, but had been trying to convince himself otherwise.

As a child, Kaden had always been good at everything he tried to do and hated to be less than number one. But, as he grew up, he inevitably found things that he simply couldn't be the best at, playing the Harmonixium for example.

As he had accepted the fact that he couldn't be the best at everything, he had resolved to himself that he would at least never lose at his own specialty and that was a contest of intelligence. As arrogant as it sounded, Kaden's core beliefs were based on the fact that he could outsmart and out-think anyone or anything he ever had or ever would encounter.

That's why, when Kor had outsmarted him during the MSET, having won by thinking one step ahead of him, his mind automatically decided that it must have been a fluke and his desperation to prove it had brought him to this point.

Now the opposite has happened. Kaden had plotted and planned his strategy to target Kor specifically and he’d had months to prepare for the fight.

Kor, however, had already seen his own shortcomings and found a way to overcome them. Now, he was once again one step ahead of Kaden.

The fact that it was Kaden's own invention that he used was like salt in the wound, but not the real issue.

The air around the tan Lombax was now being sucked into the cyclonic whirlwind that grew from the center of the arena. Kaden knew that his window to make a run for the node was starting to close and that Kor would soon be ready to throw his metallic barrage.

Still, Kaden didn't move. His mind just kept simulating and re-simulating how empty a node capture victory would feel at this point.

Then he resolved himself… He would not run!

With a steeled heart and lot of effort to suppress his logical mind, Kaden dug his feet into the ground, mag-locking them for extra needed stability, and stretched his arms out to his sides.

Moments later an orb of nuclear energy flashed into life in each hand. The two orbs then began to grow in power until they hummed at stabilized equilibrium.

Through the swirling metal, Kaden eyed Kor, who in turned eyed him back. They both knew that even two of Kaden's Nuclear Fists wouldn't be enough to break through the curtain of destruction Kor had built, so Kaden had to go further.

And so, with a deep breath, Kaden then slammed his hands together, causing an ear-splitting bang, as he forced his two Nuclear Fists to become one.

Sparks flashed as power surged through his gauntlets and the two nuclear cores were fused. Now with a greater energy-to-surface-area ratio, the nuclear force was able to grow even more powerful than simply the sum of the two Parts.

Kor watched from where he stood, unable to move with the incredible weight of the metal refuse trying to crush him like a trash compactor. Kaden's new attack looked dangerous, but the chances of it reaching him without being diverted by the now rapidly spinning shield of robot parts seemed unlikely.

In only a few more seconds the Metal Storm would reach its maximum velocity and then even Kaden's repulsor field would have no chance of holding back the tidal wave of destruction it would unleash.

At that moment, however, Kaden was thinking the exact same thing that Kor was. In fact, he had built both his and Kor’s weapon, so he knew that an outcome in his favor was unlikely… at least not yet.

With a mental command, Kaden activated his untested prototype weapon.

Air hissed from his gauntlets as they transformed and a long, metallic claw grew out from each of Kaden's armored fingers. Each claw was over a foot long and highly compatible with the stabilizer fields that were generated by his Nuclear Fists.

With a boom of displaced air, the nuclear reaction between Kaden's hands expanded rapidly to take advantage of the sudden increase in space. Now, with the surface area multiplied even further, the power output of the Nova Claws spiked as it forced even more energy into its already incredibly powerful nuclear core.

Kaden's arms and body began to shake with the intense strain of holding back the force of an exploding star. Heat was even beginning to escape through cracks in the claws' containment field. Miniature solar flares burst from between his metal fingers. Some even licked the floor, vaporizing lines of concrete in a flash of steam.

Kor watched with concern as the tiny sun in his opponent's hands more than doubled in size. However, the Metal Storm he himself wielded had now reached peak movement rate, so it was time to attack.

With everything he had left, the red-armored Lombax shifted his weight and flung his arms forward. He felt his bones bow and bend in ways that they never should have, but they held true and the attack was released.

With a roar like that of a thousand angry, metallic bees, a tidal wave of metal surged forth towards Kaden.

Kaden watched the attack come at him with disinterest. He had already calculated this much and had watched this scene play out in his mind several times already. All he cared about at that moment was his Nova Claws as they reached full charge.

With a wall of metal rushing towards him, Kaden forced his wrists to touch each other. Automatically, a clamping mechanism latched them together firmly. He then straightened his fingers out as if to form the barrel of a crude cannon.

With the containment field suddenly opened on one end, a shockwave erupted from Kaden’s claw tips and his feet were pressed forcefully into the floor from the recoil of the ejecting energy blast.

A beam of light, that was too bright to look at directly, suddenly tore through the center of the metal storm, vaporizing anything that touched it.

Kaden didn't get to see if the shot landed, though, as the hole it had opened up in the scrap wall was quickly filled in with metal debris and the wave continued unimpeded.

Kaden took one last deep breath as his gauntlets still smoked and steamed before he switched on his repulsor fields. He knew they did not have the strength to hold back the tidal wave, but it was something at least.

His face didn't even twitch so much as a single muscle of emotion as his shield shattered before him, nor did his expression show any regret as he was swept up in the flood of destruction and his world went dark.

He had made this choice.

* * *

The first thing Kaden was aware of was the taste of blood in his mouth. It was tangy and coppery and ‘way’ too familiar.

The next thing he noticed was how little of his body he could actually feel. It was likely that his Nanotech had numbed the nerves to any damaged areas as it tried to repair them, so the fact that he could feel almost nothing was a really bad sign.

Still, he opened his eyes to find himself looking up through the bottom of a pile robotic body parts. He could see nothing in great detail as there were only a few shafts of light poking through the debris pile he was under. Apparently, he had been washed away in the flood of metal.

His first instinct was to check his nanotech status by looking at his HUD, but no matter how many times he tried he just couldn't get the display to activate.

He then realized that almost all of his helmet's visor had been shattered and that there was nothing to display his HUD on, except a small shard that was displaying half a blue blinking symbol that he couldn't make out.

Next, he tried to stand up, but he couldn't get his legs to move. They had been numbed to the point non-function.

In fact, he found that the only body part he could still move at all was his right arm.

Kaden then tried to brush the scrap off of him. Unbeknownst to him though, he was actually facing downward and was digging into the junk pile's foundation.

He found this out as the scrap mound he was in shifted suddenly and he was thrown out onto the floor in an avalanche of metal garbage.

Kaden was now lying on his side on the arena floor, half buried. The world was suddenly bright again and it hurt his eyes, but he was determined to find out what had become of his opponent. It was the only thing he really cared about.

Carefully, Kaden lifted himself up onto his one functional limb and looked around.

There was no longer anyone standing at the center of the arena where Kor had been. Instead, there was now a crater whose inside was as smooth as glass. This was the result of being formed from pure heat rather than an impact of some kind.

Pressing onward, Kaden slowly and painfully craned his neck to try and see the rest of the arena.

Then... he found what he was looking for.

Nearly five feet off the ground, Kor's armored body was embedded in the arena wall. His arms were spread out to his sides and he remained perfectly motionless as Kaden studied him. His armor was melted and twisted in horrible ways and smoke still floated off of its metallic surface as it cooled.

Kaden's eyes then settled on Kor's helmet before widening in surprise.

A quarter of Kor’s faceplate had been ripped off by the force of the blast. It was likely that there must have been some previous damage to that area beforehand for a tear to happen so cleanly. Now his head was exposed from his eye to his ear.

Many of the Nova Academy’s students who were watching the games from the outside had tuned in with the hopes of determining if Kor was, in fact, a legendary ‘Red Lombax’, but even with a part of his face exposed, still no one could be sure.

There was no fur on the visible part of Kor’s head or his ear. It had all been burned off and his skin was now a charred, black scab that bled from several spots. It was a gruesome sight.

Then, in a moment that made Kaden catch his raspy breath in his throat, Kor's single visible eye opened. The iris was green, but the pupil was much larger than the average Lombax's. Kaden’s muscles stiffened as he watched.

Lazily, the eye began to wander around the arena, dilated in a dull and disorientated state. There appeared to be no signs of intelligence directing it. It just seemed to float around randomly.

Eventually, it wandered over to Kaden. The eye stopped moving for a moment and instead held itself on Kaden's prone form for a long few seconds.

Then the eye widened in sudden recognition, the muscle around it twisted and cracked, ripping open the cauterized skin and causing blood to leak out from multiple spots as the pupil itself instantly shifted into a cat-like slit.

The predator's eye came into sharp focus and Kaden's heart skipped a beat as he felt its rage bore into him. Its gaze dug into his own eyes with the burning intensity of an animal who wanted nothing more in its existence than to devour him.

Kaden instinctively flinched at the sight, though, he could do little else.

Kor's body then began to shake as he tried to move while the single lizard-like eye flashed around its socket as it took in the situation.

After a short while, his armored form was still for a brief moment before he suddenly ripped one arm free of his imprint, with the sound of cracking stone and a burst of dust. He did the same again to his other arm, then both legs at once. He then fell forward, slamming to the ground with a resounding thud.

Kor remained motionlessly sprawled out on the floor for several more seconds after that.

Kaden held his breath as he watched his enemy’s motionless armored body. He couldn't believe Kor had survived that blast. Even more unbelievable was that he could still move. If Kor managed to get over to him now, there would be nothing he could do to defend himself.

After several seconds of deathly stillness, Kor began to show signs of life once more. His body roused itself weakly, but its movements grew ever more restless until the Lombax had managed to pull himself up to his feet. Kor then began to shamble awkwardly toward Kaden. Awkwardly, but with intense determination.

All the while that hatred filled eye stared fixedly at the injured tan Lombax without blinking.

Kaden felt his heart rate pick-up, though it was still erratic from the damage he'd sustained.

He had nothing left.

No tricks, no weapons, no energy. Kaden didn't even have the ability to feel seventy percent of his body.

Desperately, he tried to claw away from Kor's approaching form with his only working arm. However, he barely managed to drag himself a few inches before accidentally disturbing another pile of scrap and causing a cascade of metal to topple over him.

Kaden continued to fight through it though, pressed onward as Kor stumbled ever closer.

But for all his efforts, all Kaden really managed to do was displace more refuse by the time Kor was upon him.

Soon Kaden could hear the metallic, intermittent breathing of Kor's respirator. The sound was even more terrifying than usual. The breathing device was clearly damaged, its tortured efforts grated painfully against Kaden’s ears as it grew louder with each step, like death itself breathing down his neck.

Fearfully the tan Lombax turned from his futile efforts and looked back to find that Kor was only a few meters away now, his arm stretched out eagerly while his snake-like eye quivered with excitement.

Then, just as the Red Reaper was about to reach his prey, his movements began to slow. His slit of an eye also widened in a momentary loss of focus, before returning to its intense glare.

Kor took another step forward, seemingly unaware of the pause, but it happened again and this time his eye began shifting back and forth from focused to dilated as it fought to remain lucid and Kor's movements came to a halt.

Then, miraculously, the eye dilated fully and rolled up into the back of Kor's skull. Unconsciously, his armored body attempted one last step, stumbled… and toppled to the ground.

In slow motion, Kaden watched Kor fall, like some ancient, massive tree finally being felled after having been struck by an axe for ages.

The red-armored Lombax hit the floor with a ringing clang that echoed through the deathly silent arena, but even louder through Kaden's mind.

Nothing moved after that.

Kaden slowly began to let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. It was a ragged breath and it spoke once more of shredded lungs, but that concern didn't even cross his mind. All Kaden could think about was the future vision of Kor getting up once again to continue where he'd left off.

But this time, the motionless Lombax never did. Like a scene that Kaden had witnessed in a dream, a blue light sparked into life around Kor's body. The glow then rapidly spread to encompass his whole armored form and in a sudden flash, he vanished from existence...

It took Kaden a long time to accept the sudden turn of events.

Even after Kor was long gone, his mind still cautioned him to remain vigilant, to expect an attack to come at any moment.

Several seconds later, with a sharp snap of cognitive function, Kaden realized at last that he had won. He realized at last that he had beaten the unstoppable Kor and had proved himself superior.

The battered Lombax laughed suddenly in relief, but joyous reaction quickly turned into a hacking cough that spat blood across the ground.

He ignored it. He was too happy to care about anything else.

As he basked in the elation of victory, a small portion of his mind slowly began to take account of his situation. It was then that several things began to raise flags to him.

The first flag was the still blinking, half a blue icon on his shattered visor that he still couldn't recognize. Another flag was that he had still not regained feeling in his extremities, which was worrisome.

Most pressing, however, was that he didn't remember when he'd decided to lie down on the floor.

Kaden blinked several times to clear his blurring vision, until his sideways view of the arena floor came into focus. He was lying sideways against the ground with his face feeling very wet.

At that moment, feeling in his limbs began returning, but it came in the form of a chilling cold that had pierced straight to his bones. He tried to move something besides his one arm, but still, nothing would respond to his commands. The efforts only made the chill creep deeper into his body.

Kaden gulped back the saliva in his mouth, but found that there was way too much of it to be just saliva alone and that the tangy flavor of blood was much more potent than before.

With much more difficulty than he'd had even just a few seconds ago, he tilted his head down toward his chest and at last saw the condition of his own body.

His armor was ripped and dented in more places than he could count. Tiny shards of metal stuck out of him from dozens of spots and blood dripped out along them like syrup-tree taps. He watched as tiny droplets of sanguine liquid collected and then fell from their ends and landed in the vast red puddle that he only just now noticed he was lying in.

Panic shot through his mind as comprehension dawned on him. The blinking blue icon on his visor was the warning that foreign material was preventing Nanotech repairs.

It was a shrapnel. His body was full of it and not just the dozens of spikes he could see now. There were likely hundreds of shards of metal embedded throughout his entire body.

Kaden's priority, though, was to remove the ones he could see. Anything inside him could be healed around, but the spikes that led out of his body were acting like a pipeline for the blood that he was rapidly losing.

Using his one good arm, which he realized now was his least damaged body part, he gripped the largest metal spike, located in his gut, and pulled as hard as he could.

Immediately jolts of pain shot through his mostly numb body and the sudden urge to vomit forced itself up his throat. He fought back a rush of bile that was mostly blood and realized, with great distress, that he could feel the new pangs of pain reaching all the way from his back.

The metal spike in his hand had gone completely through him and was sticking out the other side.

Still, Kaden tried to pull desperately on the metal root. Despite how bad the injury was, that only made its removal that much more imperative.

The effort, however, quickly zapped him of what little strength he had left and he kept pulling until his right hand lost its grip and fell uselessly into the pool of red liquid with a splash.

Kaden tried to focus as hard as he could to command his arm to rise once more, but finally, it too had succumbed to the coldness of blood loss that the rest of his body was experiencing.

In that moment, the blue icon on his wrecked visor stopped blinking and then turned an angry red to indicate that his Nanotech had finally run out.

A second later intense pain shot through his body once again as the nerve inhibition ceased, but the agony was soon replaced by an empty numbness that swept through him like a flood breaking through a dam.

Each breath was becoming more difficult to take as his head fell back onto the floor without his consent. His neck muscles had become too weak to hold it up.

_'Am I going to die?'_ Kaden wondered, once he’d realized he could no longer do anything. He could even feel his thoughts becoming slower and less refined.  _'Where was the light or the highlight reel of his life?'_ he questioned in a daze. _'What a ripoff...'_

As his vision blurred he also began to wonder why he hadn't been teleported away yet. He was clearly damaged enough to warrant it.

A weak and barely noticeable smile then creased the corners of his lips. He realized that he hadn't reactivated his homing beacon and now the teleporters couldn't get a fix on his coordinates.

Kaden tried to laugh one last time at the irony, but all that came out was a rattling rush of air that was his last breath. His heart stopped beating and his eyes dilated as they stared sightlessly up toward the ceiling.

* * *

**- Somewhere within the logic engine of Kaden's NID processor. -**

Time: 15:04:14.55

User Condition: CRITICAL.

Update: Status: UNCONSCIOUS.

...

Initiate emergency override protocols;

Emergency Nanotech activation;

-Nanotech levels: DEPLETED.

-User Condition: CRITICAL.

...

Switching available NID energy to neural cortex preservation;

-Energy rerouted

...

Hard saving 'Last Will and Testament' data;

-Data saved;

...

Encrypting Holo-net browsing history;

-History encrypted;

...

Activating emergency homing beacon;

**-** ERROR: beacon coordinate request OVERFLOW. Buffer Status: HALTED

-Displaying request log:

...

Time: 15:01:47.02 /Request ID: 'Military Field: Games Department'

Time: 15:02:00.89 /Request ID: 'Military Field: Games Department'

Time: 15:02:19.86 /Request ID: 'Military Field: Games Department'

Time: 15:03:12.92 /Request ID: 'Military Field: Tele-transit Hub'

Time: 15:04:02.73 /Request ID: 'Nova Academy: Detention Center'

Time: 15:04:13.97 /Request ID: 'Science Field: Cyber Warfare Division'

-ERROR: inbound virus detected

-Access Denied

Time: 15:04:27.09 /Request ID: 'Nova Academy: Medical Center'

Time: 15:05:27.09 /Request ID: 'Nova Academy: Medical Center'

Time: 15:06:27.09 /Request ID: 'Nova Academy: Medical Center'

Time: 15:07:15.78 /Request ID: 'Nova Academy: Medical Center - Critical Care'

Time: 15:07:15.79 /Request ID: 'Nova Academy: Medical Center - Critical Care'

Time: 15:04:15.80 /Request ID: 'Nova Academy: Medical Center - Critical Care'

Time: 15:04:15.81 /Request ID: 'Nova Academy: Medical Center - Critical Care'

-ERROR: Incoming beacon request OVERFLOW.

-Halting Buffer;

...

-Requesting user assistance;

-User status: UNCONSCIOUS.

...

A.I. override;

-Deleting Beacon Request Buffer;

-Restarting Emergency Beacon;

...

Incoming Beacon Request:

Time: 15:04:15.89 /Request ID: 'Nova Academy: Medical Center - Critical Care'

-Initiating teleport sequence;

Exactly 1.34 seconds after Kaden had lost consciousness, a blue light of energy sparked into life around him. Its aura rapidly spread to encompass his whole body and in a sudden, bright flash, he was gone, leaving behind a half-destroyed arena and a deep, red pool of blood.

All throughout the depot defenses powered down and lights were switched off. The ventilation system fans stopped spinning and the massive tower fell silent.

This round of Capture the Depot was now complete.

* * *

 

Second commissioned piece done for me by BlueStripedRenulian on DeviantArt. Check out the rest of her amazing art here: [BlueStripedRenulian DeviantArt Homepage](https://www.deviantart.com/bluestripedrenulian)

Kor's profile commission (as seen in part 1, chapter 14): [Kor Profile](http://fav.me/dd2a8go)

Kor's climactic battle scene commission (as seen above): [Kor Battle Scene](http://fav.me/dcujksn)

Side Note: I'd love to hear what anyone thinks about these commissions. Either here on my fanfiction or on BlueStripedRenulians piece directly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Great Waters - This is just the Red Lombaxes’ word for the ocean that surrounds the island of Magneron.
> 
> Frostbitten Maws - Are natural ice caverns that form when a particularly hefty flow of lava is expelled from the volcano of Magnaron and pours passed the Divide, forming an underground lava river. When the river cools, there is a gap left from where the heat melted the ice above, but failed to break through to the atmosphere. Frostbitten Maws usually dot the outside of the Divide and provide excellent dwellings... provided something else doesn’t already live there.
> 
> Trash Compactor - I hope everyone noticed my play on words here. When Kor notes that the weight of the metal he’s holding would crush him like a ‘trash compactor’, there’s more to it. A trash compactor is a machine that puts immense pressure on trash to compact it to a smaller size. However, in the case of Kor, it is the weight of what is essentially trash that was trying to compact ‘him’, so it wasn’t a ‘trash compactor’ a ‘trash’ compactor. Get it?
> 
> A breakdown of what is happening in Kaden’s NID’s Request Log (I was asked by a reader who didn’t seem to understand exactly what was going on):  
> The first request comes in at about five minutes before Kaden loses unconsciousness. This is just after he activates his Depot Guardbot override virus and the Military Field Games Department decides that he is disqualified. However, the request fails and they try two more times to recall him. After that, they try to use the Tele-transit Hub’s transponders. When neither of them works, it’s clear that Kaden must be actively blocking their recall requests.  
> Messing with safety equipment is against Nova’s general rules, so the Academy’s Detention Center immediately tries to recall him, but fails. Sure they were told in advance it would fail, but that wouldn’t stop them from trying, since they’re mindless bureaucrats of the correctional department.  
> After that, the Science Field’s Cyber Warfare department is asked to try and remotely break through Kaden’s NID and force a recall request. Kaden’s NID, however, is too well protected and it immediately blocks access from the source.  
> At two minutes and fortyish seconds the Nova Academy Medical Center, which monitors all combat sports for injuries, sees Kaden get slammed by the Metal Storm and immediately tries to recall him. Following protocol, they try to recall him again every sixty seconds until, after the third attempt, in which they see him crawl out of the debris and rapidly begin bleeding out on the floor. They then try to recall him to the Critical Care ward for immediate surgery.  
> Seeing him dying on their monitor, the medical staff repeatedly sent out the recall request every 0.01 seconds. This, however, caused a buffer overflow in Kaden’s NID and the request log became locked. Luckily, they kept at it for over a minute straight and when the request buffer was automatically cleared by the onboard A.I., it immediately received a recall request and answered it.


	17. Aftermath

"Welcome back to the Solar Flare," greeted Todd Berita pleasantly. "If you're just joining us tonight, we are in the middle of discussing yesterday's amazing Capture the Depot match."

"Amazing is an understatement, Todd," continued Dana Tayori, "Not a single fan of CtD had their jaws up or tail ends in their seats by the end of what was easily one of the most exciting matches in the history of the sport."

Todd nodded his agreement to his co-anchor's words and turned back to the camera, "To those who don't know, yesterday's match was a showdown between season favorites, The Tough Nuts, and their recently declared rivals, newcomers, The Gold Bolts. These two teams had a score to settle and boy did business get settled in a big way."

"Fans will remember," followed Dana, "that the Bolts and the Nuts faced each other in the randomly seeded preliminary matches, resulting in one of the Tough Nuts' newest members, Viscera Suraisu, being seriously wounded and forced out of yesterday’s match. In an ironic twist of fate, that prelim defeat dropped the Nuts down to middle seed and propelled the Bolts up to the same, thus ensuring their rematch just days after their rivalry began."

"However," interjected Todd, "the biggest twist to this crazy tale is easily the fact that, even though thousands watched the match's conclusion yesterday, we still don't know how it ended!"

"That is... until now," countered Dana with a wry smile. "We are breaking tradition here at the Solar Flare to bring you breaking news on a Military Field match ‘before’ all contestants involved are released from medical care."

Todd took over again from there, "Just moments ago, our revered Dean of Nova Academy left a meeting with the CtD certification and bake sale committee. The results of that meeting are both shocking and riveting. I know that many of you watching now have been waiting a ‘very’ long time to hear this news, it may have even felt like several months to some... In fact, I feel bad for those of you who have stopped tuning in to the 'show' from our recent hiatus and aren't watching this live. If I'm talking about you, you're probably watching this after it’s been aired, so you'll be getting the olds instead of the news." Todd chuckled at his own joke while Dana rolled her eyes before he continued. "Regardless of when you're 'watching' this though, it doesn't change the fact that your waiting is over! The awe-inspiring conclusion to yesterday's Capture the Depot match is-"

"Tough Nuts win by a knockout!" shouted Dana, and cutting off her co-anchor with a very self-satisfied grin on her face. "Newcomer Kaden, er... something, has also been banned from participation in any CtD matches until the start of next season!" 

Dana breathed heavily with excitement while adrenaline ran through her veins as she turned to face the angry gaze of her enraged co-anchor.

Todd clenched his teeth and spoke in a whisper, forgetting that his voice was being transmitted live through his NID, "What are you doing?!" he hissed angrily through his jaw. "I won the coin toss. It was ‘my’ right to deliver the news. You didn't even remember Kaden's last name!"

Dana leaned back in her chair, smiling broadly at the pleasure of finally being able to visibly upset her co-anchor, "You were taking too long," she countered unapologetically. "Besides, everybody knows..." she continued, before suddenly sitting up in her chair, producing a pair of dark sunglasses from seemingly nowhere and putting them on, "you always lose... ‘with tails’."

Todd simply stared at her, mouth agape, in sheer dumbfounded disbelief before snapping back to his senses with a shake of his head. With as much subtlety as he could, Todd flashed a hand gesture across his throat. The set crew recognized the signal at once and they too snapped out of their stunned stupor. 

The robot controlling the camera zoomed in on Todd to cut out Dana from the shot. Simultaneously, two Nova Security robots left their posts by the doors and swiftly stomped over toward the set to take custody of Dana Tayori.

Todd ignored the sounds of struggle next to him and returned his focus to the camera before clearing his throat, "Ahem, well it seems that my esteemed, soon to be ‘ex’-co-anchor, has neglected to mention the details that go into giving a good news report. Indeed, the Tough Nuts have been officially declared victorious over the Gold Bolts. Solar Flare sources from within the CtD committee have revealed that the Capture the Depot bylaws clearly stated: 'A student's disqualification from a match is in reference only to either the stopping of their heart, or their removal from the active field’.” he explained. “Despite Kaden's illegal meddling with his teleporter beacon, he was technically removed from the match only ‘after’ his opponent, the Red Reaper of Nova, Kor Vol'terran. That same move, however, cost him any chance of returning to the game this season as he has been officially banned from further participation."

At that moment, Todd ducked under his desk as a chair came flying at him from somewhere off-screen and slammed into the wall behind him. 

But, he quickly stood back up and continued reporting unfazed, "Nearly all of the participants of yesterday's Depot match remain hospitalized, but ‘most’ are on schedule to be released within a day or so. The exceptions being the main participants, Kaden and Kor, who are, as of this reporting, currently in intensive care."

Just as Todd finished talking there was a whoosh of air that filled the room and Todd's face seemed to glow from the light of what appeared to be a naked flame, though, his only change in expression was to look off camera and widen his eyes slightly.

* * *

"It's room number 724," answered the nurse before he looked up from his terminal. "The lift pads are just down the hall and to your left," he added helpfully.

Sorana smiled in appreciating and bowed her head politely, "Thank you," she replied, before turning to leave.

"Oh, uh, one more thing," the nurse continued with hesitation in his voice.

Sorana stopped walking and turned back around with a curious look, "Yes?" she asked.

The medical Lombax looked then down and scratched the back of his head for a moment as he considered his next words, "The patient in that room,” he began to explain cautiously, “they haven't fully recovered yet. They’re probably connected to an electro-vocalizer in order to let them communicate."

Sorana didn't reply immediately as she considered what his words meant and the silence that filled the pause felt a little awkward. 

"Just... so you're not surprised," the nurse continued.

Sorana took a small breath and held it for a short moment, before finally nodding her understanding.

“Thank you,” she repeated appreciatively, before turning once more and walking away without another word.

* * *

The door to patient recovery room 724 opened without a sound, once Sorana had waved her hand over its control panel. 

The room inside was dark, but unfortunately familiar to her. While she'd never been to this particular room before, she had come to visit Kaden in several hospitals, many times over the course of their friendship. She had even come to see him in this very hospital since their arrival at Nova.

This time, however, was a much, much different circumstance from all the others.

Not wanting to turn the lights on, in case her friend was resting, Sorana carefully made her way through the darkness as her eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light. 

Her target was the visitor’s seat that she could dimly see in the far corner of the room. There she intended to wait patiently for her friend to wake up. Even if he was deep in slumber, it would be dinner time soon and the medical staff would be by to bring food and make sure he ate it.

Sorana imagined what it would be like having to make uncooperative individuals eat their balanced meals full-time, rather than just as a hobby in her case.

This musing, however, made her distracted and she accidentally jostled the leg of a wheeled tray table with her foot. 

Sorana froze once she felt it, desperate to prevent any kind of sound. But, despite the lightness of the impact, an empty drinking cup was knocked over by the slight force and it rolled off the table's surface before clattering to the ground loudly.

The young Lombax shut her eyes and winced painfully at the noise that seemed to echo much louder than it should have in the almost perfectly silent room. 

Unfortunately, but inevitably, she then heard the sound of movement coming from the patient's bed. 

A few seconds later the bed's occupant spoke, "WHO-IS-THERE," grated a rather harsh-sounding, monotone, artificial voice synthesizer. 

The sound was awful. It barely resembled a voice at all and definitely held no relation to what its current user should have sounded like. It was obviously a very low-grade device. 

Sorana immediately felt much more gratitude toward the nurse from earlier for having warned her about it. She was sure that if she'd heard such a noise as that coming from the darkness at any other time, she'd have jumped out of her fur.

"Sorry, it's just me," Sorana called out apologetically, before quickly crossing the remaining distance to the chair and sitting down.

"HUH. SORANA.” replied the electronic voice. “I-AM-A-LITTLE-SURPRISED-THAT-YOU-ARE-HERE." 

The Vocalizer was completely lacking in emotion or nuance, but Sorana was able to surmise that the words were meant to be said like a question.

"What? Am I not allowed to visit my friend in the hospital after he's been seriously injured?" she demanded in mock indignation.

"IT-IS-NOT-THAT," responded the vocalizer quickly, "IT-IS-JUST... I-HAD-THOUGHT... NEVER-MIND. WOULD-YOU-GET-THE-LIGHTS-PLEASE. THERE-IS-A-PANEL-NEAR-YOUR-CHAIR."

Sorana hesitated to move at first, unsure of what she would find once light had filled the room, but she quickly found her resolve and stood up to reach for the control panel on her side of the room. 

With a gentle slide of her outstretched finger across the control screen, the whole room was illuminated and its occupant finally revealed to her.

Sorana let out a deep breath of relief when she saw that the damage to her friend was nowhere near what she'd imagined. Which was good, since her imagination had a bad habit of overdoing it.

After all... Alister's only major injury was to his throat.

"WELL. THAT-IS-A-COMFORTING-REACTION," said Alister through the small speaker attached to the corner of his bed's headboard. His temporary voice was emotionless, but his expression was clearly saying his words sarcastically.

Sorana smiled at her friend's apparent good condition. If he was feeling good enough to make jokes through a fake mouth, then she didn't have to worry about him recovering too much.

"How are you feeling, Alister?" she asked kindly.

Alister rolled his shoulders around and felt their stiffness from being stuck in a bed this whole time while he regrew his trachea, "I-AM-DOING-GOOD, ALL-THINGS-CONSIDERED," he admitted with a thoughtful nod of his head.

Sorana returned to the nod to show her understanding, "Well, I brought you something that might make your situation a bit more bearable," she offered knowingly, before reaching into the bag that she’d been carrying.

Alister's ears immediately perked up at the sight of the small box she produced. It was colored a strange shade of purple with a simple red ribbon wrapped around it. 

While he knew it was a bad habit to have expectations for a gift, but his mind couldn't help but jump to the conclusions. He immediately thought of Markazian Tasolup crème chocolates.

Alister had always heard about the legendary treats from Kaden. His tan-furred friend had worn a dreamy expression on his face as he'd described them. 

The rare confectionaries were said to be made by a master Markazian chocolate crafter and weren't widely sold in the galaxy. There were very few people who could get their hands on a box of them. 

Sorana, or more accurately the import-export influential Bellit family, were some of those few people.

Kaden had always foretold of their appearance upon very special occasions and it made Alister's mind race with the excitement that he might actually get to try some now of all times. If they were half as good as Kaden had described them, they'd make having his throat crushed totally worth it.

"AND... WHAT-IS-THAT," asked Alister's vocalizer, a hungry eagerness almost audible even through its empty tones.

Sorana didn't answer the question. Instead, she studied her friend's expression as he stared intensely at the box in her hand. After several seconds of this, she raised her eyebrow, intrigued by the reaction. 

At last, Alister noticed the span of time that had passed and finally realized what he was doing. He looked away quickly before trying to secretly wipe saliva from the corner of his mouth.

"SORRY," he apologized flatly.

"It's fine," dismissed Sorana with a wave of her hand and a happy grin on her face. She then got up and walked over to Alister’s bed, before placing the box on the table next to him. "And yes... they are Tasolups." 

Alister's eyes lit up at the confirmation and he instinctively reached for the container.

"But you might not want to eat them yet," Sorana cautioned as the greedy Lombax pulled the box back to his bed and sat up eagerly to examine its contents.

Alister had barely heard Sorana's warning as he carefully slid off the lid and pulled out one of the oddly-shaped, chocolaty treats. "AND-WHY-IS-THAT," his vocalizer asked distractedly.

His answer, however, came to him the moment he tried to open his mouth and felt a ripple of pain dance its way across his newly grown and still very raw throat.

Slowly, Alister's mouth resealed itself and his expression was empty and saddened, "FATE-CAN-BE-SO-CRUEL," he vocalized, before lowering the tiny morsel back into its container.

Sorana simply nodded at him while trying not to laugh out loud. It was hard, though. Alister looked so much like a puppy that could see a treat it wanted, but couldn't have it. 

"You'll just have to save them for later," she offered comfortingly.

Alister shrugged his shoulders and nodded his resignation, "I-GUESS-I-SHOULD-JUST-BE-HAPPY-THEY-MANAGED-TO-GET-TO-ME-AT-ALL," he noted, trying to look on the bright side of things.

"Hmm?" intoned Sorana curiously, unsure of what Alister meant by his comment.

The recovering Lombax gestured with his a nod toward the bag in Sorana's hands, "I-IMAGINE-THAT-IF-KADEN-HAD-KNOWN-THERE-WAS-ANOTHER-BOX-OF-THIS-STUFF-IN-THERE, IT-WOULD-HAVE-NEVER-MADE-IT-OUT-OF-HIS-ROOM."

"Oh," breathed Sorana quietly, somewhat caught off-guard by the answer. She fidgeted with the bag in her hand and gripped its handle tightly. "Yes, well that's probably true, except..." she then paused and reached back into her bag before pulling out an identical box of Tasolup chocolates, "...I haven't actually given him his yet."

Alister didn't reply immediately, which left an awkward few seconds of silence hanging in the air, "I-AM-SORRY," he began. "I… I-JUST-ASSUMED-YOU-WOULD-HAVE-VISITED-KADEN-FIRST."

"What do you mean?” questioned Sorana, attempting to sound jovial in the face of the awkward atmosphere. “Are you saying that you think I'd want to see Kaden more than you?"

She had clearly meant for the words to be a joke, playing on how Alister always noted her closeness to Kaden in the past, but he could feel that they were at least somewhat forced. 

The recovering Lombax pursed his lips together and didn't answer immediately, but more than anything... he just wasn't sure how he could respond to that.

The awkward quiet continued as neither of them said anything.

"Actually, Alister..." Sorana began, breaking the silence at last and looking down at the small box in her hand. "I was hoping that, once you've recovered I mean, that maybe you could take these over to Kaden for me?"

Again Alister hesitated, but this time it was out of sheer surprise, "I-DO-NOT-KNOW-ABOUT-THAT-SORANA," he said as slowly as the vocalizer would allow. "I-THINK-KADEN-WOULD-PREFER-IF-YOU-GAVE-THEM-TO-HIM."

But Sorana shook her head slightly at his words. 

She then began to rub the corner of the Tasolup box and avoided eye contact as she replied, "Well, you see, I actually have a lot of class work that I need to catch up on and I'm just... really busy, so I don't know when I might be able to visit again."

"DO-YOU-NOT-HAVE-TIME-NOW?" Alister questioned reflexively. He was still confused as to why he had been the first one visited. He knew that Kaden and Sorana were much closer than they were. 

Even stranger was the idea that Sorana wouldn’t prioritize seeing her friend over her school work.

Now it was Sorana's turn to hesitate on her reply. 

When she didn't say anything Alister pressed harder, "SORANA?" he vocalized, insisting that he wanted an answer.

Sorana still didn't look up, but a small, sad smile bent the corners of her lips, "The truth is, Alister, I ‘had’ planned to visit Kaden first," she explained with a voice that was much quieter than before, "but… but they said that Kaden didn't have a room to visit."

"WHAT-WHY?" Alister asked as he squinted at Sorana in confusion, his bewilderment almost being evident in the monotone vocalizer.

Sorana's grip suddenly tightened on the box in her hand as she fought to say her next few words, "He didn't have a room..." she began, almost inaudibly, "because he was still in surgery."

Despite the low decibel level of Sorana’s words, Alister had heard them loud and clear. They cut across his thoughts like a knife and struck like an arrow in the center of his mind. 

_ 'Still in surgery!' _ he repeated mentally in disbelief. 

Alister himself was currently in the recovery stage of his treatment. In the time since he'd been brought in, over a day ago, the medical facility had already regrown him a completely brand new throat and then transplanted it into him. 

The medical work was well finished. He was really only here now so that the staff could make sure his new organ wasn't rejected and that it healed properly. 

To think that Kaden wasn't even out from under the laser scalpel by now was almost unimaginable.

It took a few seconds longer, but Alister also finally registered the stress in Sorana's voice and was afraid to look directly at her, "I-AM-SURE-THEY-ARE-JUST-BEING-CAREFUL," was what his vocalizer had tried to say reassuringly, but inside his head, his mind was still spinning.

For anyone to spend over twenty-four hours in surgery after the invention of nano-tech was unheard of. There was even a joke that was told in the Military Field about the prospect. 

It was said that the only people who spent more than a day in the hospital were only there for cosmetic reasons. Either they were horribly ugly and were having facial reconstructive surgery, or they didn't make it through their combat operation and the surgeons were instead preparing them for their funeral.

This joke was mainly to mock students who got hurt since almost everyone was required to stay at least a day after any kind of injury-related surgery for observation.

Reflecting on his situation now, though, Alister suddenly found that the joke was no longer funny.

However, it was ‘because’ he was in the Military Field, that he was able to recover his senses quickly. The reason why Nova Academy's military games were so brutal was to prepare students like him for the worst. It was his Field's motto: 'Die in the games, so you can survive on the battlefield'.

Alister knew that it wasn't his own feelings that he should be concerned about. He knew that his focus, for now, should be on Sorana and how she was handling the situation. Despite her mostly calm demeanor, there was no way she was taking the news in stride.

"IN-FACT,” said Alister, trying to think of something comforting to say, “I-WILL-BET-THAT-THEY-ARE-JUST-LISTING-HIM-AS-IN-SURGERY-WHILE-KEEPING-HIM-DETAINED. HE-DID-PULL-A-RECKLESS-STUNT-AND-BREAK-THE-RULES-AFTER-ALL."

Sorana nodded her head a few times and her shoulders seemed to relax a little, "That would probably make sense," she agreed with a louder, but still hushed tone. 

She even smiled at the thought. This wouldn’t be the first time Kaden tried to escape a hospital, nor the first time he was detained because of it.

Alister let out a quiet sigh and was relieved to see Sorana smile. It seemed that she was coping for the moment, but that only freed his mind to return to its concerns about his other friend's condition. 

If it was true that Kaden had been in surgery for over a day and was still there now, the prospects of his friend's survival, let alone full recovery, were slim at best. 

Alister was unable to stop himself from thinking about the possibility that he might never see the tan Lombax alive again.

However, his greatest concern was instead on how Sorana would take it. While Alister dreaded the loss of one of his friends, he was at heart a soldier and had always known that he'd see friends hurt in battle; he was prepared to face the aftermath. 

He could not say the same thing for Sorana, though. Despite her constant insisting in the past that she'd always known Kaden would get himself killed, Alister knew from the way she sat now that she had never truly prepared herself for this situation. 

Should Kaden's condition take a turn for the worse, it would be up to him to console her, but he wasn't sure if he was up to the task.

"WHAT-AM-I-GOING-TO-TELL-HER-IF-HE-DOESN'T-MAKE-IT," he wondered.

* * *

The NL-103 series of vocalizer systems was one of the first vocalizers designed to communicate a user's words through their already implanted NID systems, rather than having a nerve-link surgically implanted into their vocal cords. 

This allowed for a much easier setup and disconnect operation for the user. 

The NL-103 series, however, had been discontinued after a substantial defect was found in its programming. Because the system was connected to a user's NID, it was prone to interference by neural activity, especially when such activity was emotionally charged to a high degree. In some instances, the NL-103 system was even known to accidentally give voice to a user's personal thoughts, not just the ones they intended to speak aloud.

* * *

Cold water ran through Alister's veins as he heard his own thoughts spoken out loud through his vocalizer. 

Slowly he turned to face Sorana. "NO, WAIT, I-DID-NOT-MEAN-THAT," Alister tried to counter desperately. "I-AM-SURE-KADEN-IS-FINE-,"

But Sorana raised her head and looked up at Alister. 

She then gave him a weak smile as if to tell him she knew the reality of the situation and that it was alright.

Alister didn't believe this for a second, "I~~SURE-THAT~~~~~~MUCH~~~ASIDE," his vocalizer spat in static-laden drivel. The device was being overloaded from his vain efforts to take back what he had said and to reassure Sorana.

Sorana stood up at that moment, "I think maybe that's a little too much excitement for one afternoon," she said with an attempted friendly smile. "You're still recovering too, after all. You should rest."

Her fake expression was good, one well-crafted and practiced from years of being in a politician's family, but Alister saw the cracks in the mask. He couldn't let her leave like this, he had to do something.

Sorana had moved for the door and just past the foot of Alister's bed when something took hold of her arm in a surprisingly tight grip. She turned around in surprise and found that Alister had nearly jumped from his bed to catch her,

"wait," he said in a raspy, pain-filled voice that Sorana didn't recognize. 

It took her a few seconds to realize that it had been Alister's voice. His ‘real’ voice.

Sorana looked at her friend's face and saw his eyes desperately searching for the right words. She instantly knew what he was trying to do.

Then, a genuine smile spread across her face,  _ 'How unseemly am I?'  _ she questioned of herself. 

She had come to visit and cheer up her friend who had been hospitalized and here she was making that same friend even more worried about ‘her’.

Sorana reached up and put her hand over Alister's hold on her, "It's alright," she said comfortingly and Alister's grip relaxed a little, though, not completely.

"Kaden… will be… ok..." Alister choked painfully.

Sorana took a step forward to stop Alister from hanging off of his bed to reach her, “I’m sure he will be,” she agreed.

Alister leaned back into his bed at Sorana’s physical urging, but still did not relinquish his hold entirely, “then…” he whispered hoarsely, “you’ll go see him.... as soon as he’s out?”

Sorana hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded her head, "I promise, I'll go see him," she assured Alister and her friend's grip finally released her arm. "Enjoy the chocolates," she added.

Alister nodded, concern still in his expression, but he seemed content.

Sorana smiled reassuringly one last time before turning toward the door and heading out of the room.

The door shut behind Sorana as silently as it had opened and as soon as it had closed completely, she fell back against the wall and let out a long-held breath. 

She then remained in that position for over a minute without moving a muscle, simply thinking.

Even though, in the end, she had promised to go visit Kaden, she still didn't know if she could handle seeing him in even worse shape than Alister was. And by worse, she knew it would be ‘much’ worse. Even taking into consideration her rampant imagination, Kaden’s wounds were guaranteed to be severe.

Regardless of her personal feeling though, there was also the small problem of Kaden still being in the operating room and unable to take visitors yet.

Luckily for Sorana, kind of, she actually had plenty of time. Despite what she'd said about being busy with classes, her instructors had noticed her distracted behavior during the morning session and had given her the rest of the day off to 'find her muse' again. 

As for the analytical classes that she was taking from the Science Field, she was already a week ahead in all of them. Very few instructors in the Science Field cared if a student actually came to their sessions so long as their work was done, making this the first time in her life she'd wished she hadn't done her homework.

Without an excuse that she could tell even herself, Sorana had no choice. And so, she gathered up her courage and strode off down the hall toward the grav-lift station. 

She would do as she had promised and visit Kaden, even if it meant waiting on the surgery floor until he was released; even if that meant spending hours waiting in uncertainty; even if that meant missing out on norig rib night!

Sorana shuddered at the thought of eating in the hospital cafeteria, but entered the grav-lift anyway. As she rode, she grinned to herself as she imagined Kaden finding out that today was the long-awaited rib night in the Art Field. She could clearly picture his sad and disbelieving expression at having been told he'd missed the occasion due to being stuck in a hospital.

She almost laughed to herself at the thought her friend trying to escape his hospital stay just to get at some sweetly-marinated meats. 

Unfortunately, the cheerful feelings which the image had brought to her, swiftly turned bitter as the pictures of her imagination focused on the image of her closest friend being confined to a hospital bed.

She also knew that even if Kaden was soon released from surgery, he'd likely not even regain consciousness for the rest of the night, let alone be able to walk out of the hospital...

_ 'If he could even still walk at all.' _

The dark thought dropped like a lead weight into Sorana's stomach as the grav-lift doors opened on her desired floor. 

She shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts and then lightly slapped her cheeks to regain her composure. 

In truth, she really knew nothing about Kaden's current condition and speculating did nothing to help it. She reminded herself that she should have already learned this lesson after the MSE tournament last semester. 

All she really knew for sure was that she needed to take a page from Kaden's book and focus on the logical facts of the situation.

Then, the idea of trying to act like Kaden to keep herself from worrying about Kaden brought some comfort and another smile to her face as she walked down the hallways in search of the right operating room.

* * *

At last, Sorana stood before the entrance to O.R. #8, the one in which Kaden resided. 

The door was very large. Clearly large enough to fit lots of big equipment, or a patient on a gurney through it. Above the door was a small holo-board that projected the words 'Operation in Progress' from it.

Sorana stared, transfixed by the glowing red sign for a long few moments. 

It was strange for her to think that Kaden was just on the other side of those doors, but that she couldn't go see him. Most of his hospital stays up until now had been always resolved by the time she’d even heard about them and he was always waiting impatiently in recovery when she got there. 

Sorana also fought to keep her imagination away from trying to figure out what was going on inside. 

She took another moment to calm her mind before looking around the area.

Each operating room on the level had a small waiting area for family and friends. She could see the benches and chairs designated for room #8's area nearby. 

_ 'I'll just have to wait there and read a holo-book or something until that sign goes out,' _ she thought as she turned her attention back to the 'in Progress' sign and stared for another long moment.

"Hang in there," she said to the door quietly. Though, the words were meant as much for herself as they were for the doors’ occupant. 

Then she turned to leave.

However, Sorana had walked barely two steps away from the door when the red glow that cast itself across the surrounding floor and ceiling vanished into darkness. 

The young Lombax immediately spun back around to find the now blank holo-board and barely had time to register what that meant before the large operating room door hissed open and a blinding white light spilled out into the hallway.

"-can't believe doc saved all the limbs," declared an awestruck voice. “I thought for sure at least that leg would go.”

"I told you, nobody's better than Doctor Osec- whoa!" exclaimed another voice, followed by the sound of metal and glass clattering together.

Sorana blinked hard to clear the starbursts from her eyes before the shadow of two Lombaxes, framed in the entrance to the O.R., came into view.

One of the doctors had been pushing a cart while the second was clutching their shoulder to prevent them from running into her with it.

The two of them stared back in equal surprise until the senior one cleared his throat, "Ahem... um, excuse me? Are you family of the patient?” they asked in a friendly, but somewhat concerned manner. “We didn’t know anyone had been waiting here."

"What?" replied Sorana, still in a mild daze, "Oh, no I'm just his-"

Sorana's words trailed off as her eyes wandered down toward the small equipment cart in front of her. The entire bottom shelf was stacked to capacity with empty vials and jars, many of which glowed faintly blue from the residue of whatever they'd previously contained. 

Sorana knew immediately that these had mostly been canisters full of Nanotech, commonly used during almost all medical operations. The concerning part, however, was that they seemed to have used more nanotech than it would have taken to make a whole new person. 

And, while that fact was concerning, of course, it was not what captured Sorana's primary focus.

Sitting on the top of the cart, arranged haphazardly, were several oddly-shaped steel bowls, each filled with dozens upon dozens of twisted metal shards. 

No two objects were shaped alike. The only thing that any of them had in common, was that they were all painted in a deep crimson red. 

Sorana gulped hard and she felt her face flush as she realized what the objects were and where the shrapnel had come from. 

She could hear a voice speaking. It was saying something to her and coming from the direction in which the two doctors stood, but she couldn't seem to hear it clearly.

Then she saw it... the largest piece of gnarled metal which sat amongst the metal bits. It was over a foot long, but had been bent and twisted due to some kind of trauma, but clearly cut recently by something precise. 

It seemed distinct from the rest, almost familiar to her. Its jagged edges glinted in the light from the operating room and a single drop of red blood fell from its razor-sharp end as she stared, transfixed to it.

At last Sorana recognized the particular piece of metal and with this recognition, the one image that her mind had tried desperately to block from her memory came hurtling to the front of her perception. 

The image she had seen over a day ago. The same image that thousands of students and fans across Nova had simultaneously seen and been shocked by. 

It was the image of Kaden, lying on the ground in a puddle of his own blood, grasping that same, long piece of metal as it protruded from his chest. 

Sorana was then forced to watch again as her friend tried in vain to remove it. She saw his grip slowly weaken as his muscles gradually refused to obey him. Then she saw his hand fall away and, at last, she saw the life slip out of his eyes.

The blurred and somehow distant image of two doctors reaching their hands out toward her was the last thing she saw.

* * *

Consciousness returned slowly to Sorana. 

She tried to open her eyes, but, when the light hit them, she quickly closed them again. After a moment of reflection, she then realized that she was laying down, with her head on some kind of pillow, but a very strangely shaped one. 

As her eyes began to adjust, she looked up to find a brown-furred face come into focus.

"Claire?" said Sorana sheepishly before closing her eyes again and rubbing them.

"Welcome back," replied the brown-furred Lombax with a friendly, but concerned smile.

"What… what happened?" Sorana asked next. She only vaguely remembered what she had been doing before she'd woken up.

Claire hesitated a moment before answering, "Well, you fainted,” she explained before putting a hand softly on Sorana's head. “We're still in the hospital though, one of the waiting rooms." 

"Faint?" Sorana began to repeat, but then the memory of the bloody shrapnel flooded back into her mind, making her sit bolt upright. 

The sudden reaction would have made her fall from the waiting area bench if not for Claire's supporting hands.

"Are you alright?" asked Claire with concern in her voice. "You took a decent tumble before the doctors got to you. They said you'd be fine, but that you should try to take it easy."

After taking a few seconds to steady herself, followed by a deep breath to calm down, Sorana nodded to Claire, who then relinquished her steadying hold.

"I don't mean to sound unappreciative, Claire,” Sorana began, having finally taken in her whole situation, “but what are you doing here?" 

Claire simply shrugged, "I was following you," she said unabashedly.

Sorana eyed her friend wryly "Wanted to make sure my reunion with Kadelith went well?" she questioned in a calm tone that didn't betray what she was actually thinking. 

Claire simply offered a small grin as a way of reply. 

At any other time Sorana might have been upset at her friend's overly intrusive manner, but given the situation, "Thanks, Claire," was all she could think to say.

The brown-furred Lombax grinned even wider for having not been berated, "Do you think you can walk or do you want to lie down some more?" she asked before patting her thighs welcomingly.

Sorana smiled slightly and shook her head. She then stretched her limbs. They were a little sore from the way she'd been lying down, especially her neck, but otherwise, they seemed fine. 

"No, I'm ok," she answered confidently before gripping the bench for support and getting somewhat shakily to her feet.

"That's good to hear," replied Claire in relief, before standing up as well. "And I've got good news too," she continued as they both turned to leave, "Those Surgeons leaving the O.R.? They signified the end of Kadelith's- er… I mean, Kaden's surgery. While you were lying down, I found out what room they were taking him to. We can go right now!"

While still walking away, Claire heard a soft thud come from behind her and she froze in her tracks. 

Slowly she turned back around to find that Sorana had retaken her seat and was staring intensely at the ground.

"Sorana?" she inquired with a confused expression. "Is everything alright?"

Sorana seemed to suddenly realize that she was being talked to and blinked hard, snapping herself out of her trance "Wha- Oh, yes, it's just... just... I guess I wasn't ready to walk after all," she answered with a slight smile.

Claire eyed her friend with minor suspicion, "O… K...," she replied, "We'll just wait and relax for a little bit and ‘then’ we can go. The room's just on the next floor."

It happened quickly, so much so that Claire almost missed it, but the smile that Sorana was giving her seemed to bend backward for a fraction of a second before returning. 

"Alright," replied Sorana quietly, her friendly smile firmly back in place. "We'll go in a minute."

Claire simply nodded and retook the seat next to her.

The two sat quietly for a short time.

"Are those for Kaden?" Claire asked eventually, after giving Sorana a few moments to collect herself. “I may have peaked a bit.”

Sorana looked up in mild confusion until she caught her friend's gaze and followed it to the bag sitting at her feet. Sorana had completely forgotten about them, "Uh, yes… yes, they are. They're one of his favorites."

Claire made a click with her tongue to show her jealousy, "Lucky guy," she said with an intentionally slight hint of scorn. "He goes and does such reckless things, makes you worry like this, and then at the end of it all gets hand-fed his favorite treat by a pretty girl. Plus, he's probably too dense to realize anything. You sure know how to pick'em, Sor."

Claire’s words were meant to try and relax the situation by bringing humor to it, but they didn't seem to have any noticeable effect on her friend at all.

"That's... just the way he is," Sorana replied simply, as if stating a simple fact of life.

Again, the two sank into an awkward silence. 

Claire was beginning to get an uneasy feeling. Somehow it felt to her as if the longer they stayed here the harder this was going to get. The doctors had told her that there was nothing wrong with Sorana physically, so her issues were all mental.

While Claire could understand that seeing someone you care about hurt in such a way could be traumatic, she also knew that the only way for her friend to move forward was to face the situation.

So, she hardened her resolve and turned back to Sorana, "I think we should go now," declared Claire, cutting across the silence.

Sorana's body seemed to stiffen at the words. For a while, Claire feared even that it was already too late.

But, after a few seconds of thought, Sorana finally nodded her head in agreement.

The brown-furred Lombax let out a small sigh of relief and stood up eagerly, before waiting for her friend to join her. 

Sorana nodded a few more times, then she breathed in deeply and put her arms on the seats to her sides. Using them for support, she pushed up on them to help her stand… 

Except, she didn't. 

Sorana stared in confusion. Even though she had commanded them to, her legs just simply refused to respond and were left without any strength. 

Using her arms, she tried forcing herself up, but her legs buckled the moment any weight was put on them. 

Sorana stared in disbelief at her limbs and felt her heart rate start to rise and a slight hint of panic enter her thoughts.

"Sorana?" asked Claire with concern.

"I'm sorry, Claire," apologized the still seated Lombax. "I think I might need another min-"

"Sorana," her friend interrupted with a firm, yet flat tone. "Your legs are fine."

"But I-" Sorana tried to argue, but Claire just shook her head and gave her a stern look.

Sorana's argument died in her throat and instead, her eyes turned to the floor as she hung her head sadly. 

"You're right. I... I don't ‘want’ to go," she admitted finally, both to herself as well as to her friend. 

Despite being her own, the words themselves seemed to hit as if they had physical weight. 

Sorana reflexively gripped a fistful of her dress in each hand and squeezed it tightly, "I... I don't want to see him... Covered in surgical scars and growing new organs, with wires and tubes poking in and out of him! I can’t even stand the thought!"

There was another short silence as Claire desperately considered what she could say to such an answer. She still believed that Sorana needed to face this, but hearing the description made her feel guilty for trying to push her.

Before she could respond, Sorana spoke again, "Does that make me a bad friend?" Sorana then asked quietly.

Claire could see what was happening and she began to panic. Regardless of how either of them felt, she needed to do something before it was too late.

"I know how you must feel, Sor," Claire began in a rapid yet comforting tone, "but you have to trust me. Everything is fine now. I asked the doctors myself, Kaden is going to make a full recovery... e-eventually. He's alive, Sor! And you need to go see him. Remember what you told me when you came back from Synaptic Park?"

Sorana swallowed as she continued to stare at the floor, but after a long pause, she said, "Ok," in a hushed whisper.

Claire smiled cheerfully and put an encouraging hand on her friend's shoulder, "You'll see, Sor. Everything's going to be fine now."

Sorana began to nod her head as she slowly accepted her friend’s words. Claire offered her a hand up.... but slowly, the up and down movement of Sorana’s head shifted into a left and right one.

"No," she said softly while shaking her head and tightening her grip on her dress. Claire felt Sorana's shoulders start to quiver, "I… I can't..."

Sorana tried to fight her body's involuntary actions, but she was quickly losing the battle for control. Her throat began to tighten and her mouth went dry. Liquid was beginning to pool in her eyes. 

Desperate to prevent even a single tear from escaping, she pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her head in her arms.

Claire quickly put her arm around her friend's curled-up form, "It's ok, Sorana," she insisted soothingly. "Seeing someone you care about get hurt, this is how anyone would react."

Still keeping her face hidden in her arms, Sorana shook her head awkwardly, "That's just it!" she exclaimed. Her voice was strained and muffled, but Claire could still hear it clearly. "Kaden's gotten hurt before, I've come to visit him in the hospital before, but it's never felt like this. I've never been so afraid, Claire. So afraid to find out what condition he's in, let alone go visit him, or even look at him at all..."

Sorana's voice trailed off and Claire tightened her embrace, "I know it feels bad, worse than other times, but that's just because the situation is bad. You can't tell me he's ever been hurt to this extreme before?"

At these words, Sorana suddenly stopped shaking and Claire relaxed her hold, a slight hope that she may have gotten through touching her mind. 

Slowly, Sorana raised her head from her arms and locked eyes with her friend. Her eyes were red and the fur around them was matted but there were no tears to be seen. 

On her face, Sorana wore a smile, but it was the saddest smile Claire had ever seen.

"And that's the problem," she rasped weakly. "Before that day in Synaptic Park, Kaden wasn't real, at least not in the sense that you or I am. He wasn't a normal Lombax, he was some other kind of being that was unstoppable and untouchable. Every time he got hurt, I wasn't concerned because I ‘knew’ that nothing could ever kill him, that nothing could ever truly defeat ‘Kaden’."

Claire nodded in agreement, "Yes, Kaden is... unique, amazing even. But that's why you told me you-"

Sorana's smile faded and she shook her head again as if to tell Claire 'you're wrong', "Ever since that day at the Park, I finally started seeing Kaden as real, as someone touchable... but now... after yesterday... I realized that also means he's mortal too…”

There was silence in which Claire didn’t know how to respond.

“I know Kaden, Claire,” Sorana continued. “Something like this won't change him, nothing ever does. He'll wake up, recover, maybe apologize, but then in a few months he'll be onto his next crazy idea and one of these days, it's finally going to be too much."

Claire saw where her friend's thoughts were headed and she tried to stop them, "But that doesn't mean-"

"No!" yelled Sorana, angrily this time, causing Claire to jump in surprise and the words she was going to say stuck fast to her tongue. 

Sorana glared darkly at her friend because she knew that Claire would try to change her mind. She knew that her friend was only trying to help, and part of her actually wanted her to succeed, but mostly she was just afraid of that same outcome.

As the seconds ticked by in silence, her angry expression faded and her shoulders slumped once more.

"I can't do it, Claire," Sorana said at last, in a hoarse, exhausted whisper. "I can't watch him die... not again."

* * *

Alister tossed and turned in his bed as the pain in his throat forced him awake for the umpteenth time tonight.

The new organ had finally finished taking hold and he'd been allowed to detach his vocalizer. But, shortly after eating the first solid food he’d had in over a day, as well as after tragically failing to flirt with the nurse who'd brought it to him, Alister had stretched his new throat muscles to their limits. Which wasn’t hard considering they were the equivalent of a newborn's.

After several minutes of tossing and turning, he finally pulled the blankets off of him and began reaching around in the dark for his bottle of nano-water. It was a simple mixture of regular water and over-the-counter medical nanotech that soothed his throat. Nothing as powerful as combat Nanotech, but it did the trick.

Alister’s hands quickly found his feeding tray in the darkness and then immediately set about searching its surface for his bottle. He brushed his fingers over several empty food cups as he did.

His hand paused for a moment on the box of Tasolup chocolates that Sorana had brought him and a smile split across his face. He still hadn't tried any because he didn't want his first taste to be tainted by the pain in his throat, but the moment his soreness was gone, he was going to devour them all.

Alister yawned sleepily as his hand continued to search, but the action was interrupted suddenly by shooting pain from his throat. He had forgotten how much it hurt to yawn and his hand accidentally knocked over what felt like a bottle of liquid in the process. 

Alister growled his annoyance and set about looking for the newly lost bottle when his hand brushed up on something that didn't make sense. 

His brow furrowed as he felt the object. He thought he recognized what it was, but it was impossible.

Alister finally decided to get out of bed and it only took the injured Lombax a few seconds to walk over and activate the light panel. 

The sudden brightness blinded him at first, but his eyes quickly adjusted as he walked back over to his tray. There he saw the half-dozen or so food wrappers that littered its surface as well as his bottle of nanite-infused water.

However, he paid no attention to the container of liquid that had been his original goal. 

Sitting on the table was his box of treats, still a strange shade of purple and wrapped in a red ribbon with the name Alister written on it. But, sitting just a few inches away from the one Sorana had given him was a second, identical box with the name Kaden written on it.

Then, realization dawned on Alister as he recalled Sorana’s earlier request, which he had tried to talk her out of and his ears drooped sadly.

_ ‘Oh no.’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are You Following? - Early in the chapter, Todd talks about the long wait for the conclusion of the CtD match feeling like months. This is because it’s a reference to back when this chapter was first written and posted online on Fanfiction.net. Before then, I had been writing at a rate of about a chapter a week. I pushed until I reached the epic showdown of Kor and Kaden, then I took a break for about a month. During that time, I did a bit of rewriting and I noticed that there were still fans checking my story every day even after weeks of no changes. I also found out that posting a new chapter over an old one would not notify people who had signed up for email alert updates for my book. As a special treat to those who check obsessively, I posted this chapter overtop of a chapter explaining my hiatus, so they got to be the first and only fans to read it until I posted the following chapter many days later. This is why Todd makes comments about watching the ‘show’ ‘live’.
> 
> Markazian Tasolup Crème Chocolates - are a very rare chocolate treat that is made in a remote part of Markazia where its production techniques are closely guarded secrets. The name comes from the Latin word ‘Voluptas’ which means ‘pleasure’. If you remove the ‘V’ and swap the first (olup) and second (tas) half you get: tas-olup = Tasolup.

**Author's Note:**

> Harum Redola - is a perfume mostly worn by females. Lombaxes are extremely perceptive of smells and scents, so any perfume they wore would have to be a much more subtle and a complicated scent. Harum Redola, however, is actually more of a childish, or young person’s perfume. It’s meant to be attention grabbing, but not insinuating. ‘Harum’ is the Indonesian word for fragrant or redolent; Redola is a word I made up from redolent, which means pleasant smelling.


End file.
